Who was Billy Chaser? ‘RIP Billy’ trends on X as The Game Chasers' founder dies from cancer

Billy Chaser passed away on September 18 after his months-long battle with a brain tumor. Chaser, whose real name was Billy Hudson, was best known as the founder of the reality TV and comedy series The Game Chasers and part of the YouTube duo, The Game Chasers with Jay “Hunter” Hatfield.

In a post on The Game Chasers' Facebook page, Hatfield wrote,

“Hey, guys. It's with a heavy heart and tear-filled eyes that I have to make this post. This afternoon, Billy lost his fight with cancer. A video is being made this weekend with more details. Please don’t ask for additional information,”

He continued,

“Keep in mind that this just happened, and the family (YouTube family included) is in a grieving process. I know there are lots of questions. Please let us have a moment and not slam people you know were his friends with questions. Me included.”

Jay Hatfield thanked everyone for the “love and support” they sent Billy Chaser since the beginning of his cancer journey. He added that the messages and calls he and Billy’s family have been receiving are “overwhelming” and asked for time, space, and privacy for themselves to cope with the loss.

Billy Chaser’s friend and collaborator urged people to share their pictures and memories with the late YouTuber.

In wake of the news of Billy Hudson’s demise, “RIP Billy” has been trending on social media platforms, including X.

One fan wrote,

“Maaan, this is sad. I used to watch The Game Chasers on YouTube for years. Billy was such a good dude! This world lost a legend. F**k cancer. RIP Billy”

Another fan wrote,

“So, this sucks. I can't say I was really close to Billy, but the impact The Game Chasers had on me was immense. imo, we lost an internet legend today. Go watch The Game Chasers if you haven't yet, for great ‘dudes being bros’ and ‘retro game collecting’ content. RIP Billy”

One netizen wrote,

“This really sucks. I watched Game Chasers quite a bit, and I was really hoping that Billy would pull through. RIP Billy. F**k cancer,” a netizen wrote.

Another netizen wrote,

“RIP BILLY, THE HEART AND SOUL OF GAME CHASERS”

One user wrote,

“RIP Billy Hudson of The Game Chasers. I'm still in shock”

Another user said,

“Glad we got to meet you guys at the movie premiere in Philly. You guys channeled help me thru some of the most difficult times of my life. RIP Billy, you’ll be missed”

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All you need to know about Billy Chaser

According to IMDb, Billy Chaser was a writer, editor, and director from Cedar Hill, Arlington, Texas, who was known for Chuckleheads Video, the 2022 Kickstarter-funded film Adventures in Game Chasing, and The Game Chasers (2011 to present). He had various nicknames: Billy Ballistic, Sting, and Stinger.

The Game Chasers is a comedy reality TV series where Billy Chaser and Jay Hunter hunt, chase, preserve, collect, and document retro games and later find them a place in their game rooms. It has been running for 15 years and 9 seasons. The YouTube duo and game collectors also created and appeared in a spin-off series titled The Toy Chasers, as per Wiki Fandom.

Billy Chaser and Jay Hatfield’s YouTube channel has nearly 500 videos where they display their retro game collection and also review them. The pair had known each other since the late 1990s.

During a 2019 interview with Patreon, Billy revealed he met Jay in 1999 when they worked together at a Blockbuster Video store in Grand Prairie. At the time, they would finish their shifts and go to play video games. Chaser lived in an apartment and was studying at The Art Institute in Dallas.

Billy “Chaser” Hudson described himself as a digital creator on his Facebook page and an alumnus of the University of Texas at Arlington. He told Patreon that he worked at a television station before founding The Game Chasers YouTube channel in 2010.

Billy and Jay appeared in an episode of James Rolfe’s show Board James before being inspired by American Pickers to launch their own retro video games series. Chaser’s professional background in video and film also helped them start The Game Chasers. Growing up watching comedy road movies gave them the brand of humor for the show.

Originally, the duo looked for video games in flea markets, pawnshops, and Craigslist finds, and 70 percent of their collection came from there. While Jay and his wife did it together, Billy went on his own.

Billy Chaser and Jay Hatfield also founded a gaming convention called Retropalooza, which is now overseen by Jay.

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More about Billy Chaser’s cancer journey

On August 27, Billy Chaser appeared in a video from a hospital bed on the Game Chasers YouTube channel. He shared that he was in the emergency room with a brain tumor and urged his fans to send him “good vibes” and “prayers.”

“I don’t plan on walking out of this. I plan on running out of it,” he stated in the 52-second clip.

Two days later, in a follow-up video, he revealed he had a brain surgery and the doctors took a portion to examine the tumor and figure out a course of treatment. He also shared that he had paralyzed arms and was unable to type and thanked everyone for their prayers and wishes.

However, he gave a shoutout to all his well-wishers, fans, and followers and warned them that there was no official GoFundMe from their end. On September 11, an update was posted on The Game Chasers X page stating that Billy Chaser was “alive” and was

“going in for literal brain surgery next week with some new high-tech lazer.”

A day later, another post was uploaded. It read:

“Can't sleep, so here is some stuff: I'm at a rehab center, having to reteach my brain how to walk. The hope is that I keep it after surgery. This is fightable, this isn't how I'm going out. Yes, it's a dark moment. But I'm extremely grateful for all your positive support. I read it.”

On September 16, the page shared another update that there were three brain surgeries scheduled for Billy. However, less than a day later, his death was announced.