Jacob Payne

Jacob Payne, known to hundreds of thousands of fans online as Retro Jake, was a retro video game collector, YouTuber, and the owner of retro game stores in Indiana. He built a following of roughly 550,000 subscribers on YouTube with videos about collecting, restoring, and selling vintage consoles and cartridges, turning a personal hobby into a small retail business and a prominent voice in the retro gaming community.

Payne died on November 7, 2026, at the age of 29. Reports following his death said he had been hospitalized with severe heart failure before he died. An official medical cause of death has not been released publicly, and the family has not confirmed further clinical details, so the precise circumstances remain unknown beyond what has been reported.

News of his death spread quickly through the gaming and collector communities that he had spent years building. In the hours afterward, his family issued a public warning asking his audience not to send money or respond to messages from anyone claiming to be Payne or his relatives, after scammers began impersonating him and his loved ones online. His Indiana retro game stores were temporarily closed while his family, friends, and employees mourned.

Tributes came quickly from fans, fellow creators, and people in the retro gaming community who knew him through his videos and his stores. Many described him simply as a well liked, familiar figure in that world, someone whose channel and shops had become a trusted destination for collectors.

Much about Payne's personal life, including his hometown, family background, education, and whether he leaves behind a spouse or children, has not been widely reported and is not yet confirmed. This page will be updated as verified details become available and as the family or representatives share more information about his life and about any memorial plans.