‘So long nerds’

After the original sarcoma diagnosis, Mr. Technodad said he knew it was bad even though he wasn’t a doctor.

“[Technoblade] was very open about the cancer, but he never said anything about the fact that it was all through his lungs on the day that we found it,” He said in an emotionally-charged and tearful interview with The Daily Iowan. “There’s nothing they can do for that.”

After his diagnosis, Technoblade used his fanbase to fundraise and raise awareness about sarcoma. His dad said the first few weeks after the initial doctor’s appointment were chaotic, but Technoblade wasted no time putting a positive spin on the terrible situation.

“He got home and got his feet under him, and he was like, ‘Dad, it’s time to do some cancer research charity work,’ and he raised a whole lot of money for the Sarcoma Foundation of America,” Mr. Technodad said. “I’m so proud of him for that.”

Technoblade and his legacy have raised over $1 million for the foundation and sarcoma research, leaving a mark of support and solidarity for other patients.

The Sarcoma Foundation of America awarded Technoblade the Courage Award at their Stand Up to Sarcoma Gala on Sept. 28, 2022. The organization also has a page on its website dedicated to Technoblade.

“He used his significant platform on behalf of sarcoma patients and survivors to create hope and a better life for people diagnosed with sarcoma,” the website reads. “Techno created a legacy that will impact generations of sarcoma patients.”

Technoblade continued to post and stream on YouTube after he announced his diagnosis, and his following continued to grow.

Mr. Technodad said it was Technoblade’s goal to reach 10 million subscribers since he began the Technoblade Youtube channel. On New Year’s Eve 2021, he reached the goal despite his deteriorating health.

“Ten million subs was bittersweet,” Mr. Technodad said. “By December, things were not looking very good.”

Mr. Technodad said in his last few months, Technoblade wanted to interact with his fans, but he didn’t know how. Ultimately, Technoblade wrote out the script to announce his death and tasked his dad with reading it to his fans.

“So long nerds” currently stands at 94 million views and trended on YouTube throughout 2022. Nine months after it was posted, the views continue to increase.

The video starts with Mr. Technodad holding their family dog Floof and then transitions to him reading the message left behind by Technoblade.

The audio is laid over unreleased footage of Technoblade playing Minecraft. Mr. Technodad said it was an homage to his son’s original content.

Mr. Technodad chose to continue sharing Technoblade’s stories a few months after publishing “so long nerds” after seeing how much his son meant to the Minecraft community.

“Alex’s death created a lot of grief in the world. I expected there to be grief, but I was shocked at how much it was,” Mr. Technodad said. “That left me feeling I’m a dad to a lot of kids and I care about their well-being. And that’s kind of what pulled me into Reddit.”