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TSM Daequan was one of the premier Fortnite pros responsible for creating and developing the early meta for competitive Fortnite. However, Daequan has been absent for quite some time and fans and fellow players are starting to get curious.
Daequan and his involvement in the Fortnite community
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Perhaps the most admirable aspect of Daequan’s personality is how strong and open he has been with regards to real life topics and issues in his life. Daequan, whether intentionally or unintentionally, has positioned himself as a leader in the Fortnite thanks to his behavior coupled with his knowledge and skill in the game.
Early in the Fortnite competitive lifespan Daequan was responsible for establishing the double-pump meta and using it to great effect at a time when the community was still learning how to play the game. His skill eventually lead to him becoming a founding member of TSM's competitive Fortnite team.
His natural ability to score hits and play well allowed him to earn a moderate following, but his frequent health issues lead to multiple absences which stalled his Fortnite career.
Daequan’s real life and Fortnite career
One of the reasons I say Daequan is a leader is that he has managed to be open about his real life struggles in a way that doesn’t just seek sympathy or come off as complaining. He’s remained dedicated to Fortnite and other competitive games as a career despite having chronic back issues and problems with his lungs.
Other problems have stalled his Fortnite career as well, with his long time girlfriend Exie enduring her own health issues as well. In addition to this, Daequan has managed to talk about deeply personal losses of family and friends and how it has affected him.
For a lot of people, talking about loss and grief can be difficult simply because it is so hard, but Daequan shows us that having the discussion is important for personal wellness. Grief isn’t something anyone can control or moderate, everyone feels it and will eventually have to deal with it.
Daequan’s latest absence from the Fortnite community
Daequan was last active on Twitter in March of this year where he posted about the coronavirus. Given his frequent health and lung issues, and the health issues of his girlfriend, we can only be hopeful that both of them have remained safe during these times.
We are approaching four months of inactivity from his accounts. If something devastating to him or his girlfriend had happened I’m sure it would have been made public to his fans in the Fortnite community. Instead, it is entirely possible that Daequan, like many people right now, are dealing with the added stress of the pandemic and quarantine.
I’m sure Daequan already knows this, but his fans in Fortnite and Call of Duty wish the best for him and hthat he can make a return sometime in the near future.
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