The UK gaming and journalism communities are in mourning following the death of former Metro reporter Patrick Dane in a serious road collision in Hampshire.
A Tragic Collision on the A31
Patrick Dane, a 34-year-old freelance entertainment and video game journalist from Chichester, died on Saturday afternoon. The fatal three-car crash occurred at approximately 12.45pm along the A31 in New Alresford.
Mr Dane was travelling as a passenger in a Honda Civic when it was involved in a collision with a Chevrolet Captiva and a Ford Mondeo. The incident left five other people with serious injuries. Those hurt include a man in his 70s, a woman in her 60s, a man and woman in their 30s, and a five-year-old boy.
Heartfelt Tributes from Family and Colleagues
In a moving statement, Mr Dane's family described their loss as 'extraordinarily acute'. They spoke of the void left by his sudden passing and celebrated his character.
'He was our son, our brother, our heart, our history,' the family said. 'The pride we had for him and the love we have for him will be his beautiful legacy to us.' They highlighted his sharp wit and unwavering loyalty to friends, noting the gaming and journalism world had lost a 'stellar presence'.
Professionally, Patrick Dane was a dynamic figure. He freelanced for Metro for five years until 2025, covering major titles like League of Legends and Call of Duty. His final published piece was an exclusive interview with the creative director of Marvel Rivals.
David Jenkins, Metro’s video games editor, said: 'He was a passionate and skilled writer whose love for gaming and consummate professionalism was evident in everything he did. He will be sorely missed.'
A Respected Voice in Gaming Journalism
Mr Dane had recently joined This Week in Video Games as a senior news editor in October 2025. His new team said he 'instantly super-charged our news operation with energy, insight and above all, passion'.
His career also included a role as gaming editor at Dexerto in 2023, and he contributed to leading publications such as IGN and Eurogamer. His first professional writing was for the site Bleeding Cool, where founder Rich Johnston recalled him penning around 6,000 articles on comics and pop culture between 2012 and 2019.
Johnston remembered Mr Dane as an 'insanely enthusiastic' writer, a sentiment echoed across the industry as colleagues and friends come to terms with the loss of a talented journalist at a young age.
