Jacob "Retro Jake" Payne

Payne had survived bone cancer in 2010 and in 2026 shared news of further medical issues. After his October 25, 2026 upload, Life Update. Long Video Incoming, his family announced the following week that he had been hospitalized with severe heart failure. He died on the evening of November 7, 2026, aged 29. Reports describe complications of heart failure, but the family has not publicly confirmed an official cause of death, and the place of death has not been made public.

The family announced his death on Instagram: "It is with heavy hearts that our beloved Jake is in heaven now. We appreciate all the prayers and good thoughts for his recovery. He fought until the very end." A day later they warned that scam artists were trying to take advantage of the family's heartache, and told fans not to send money or answer questions from anyone, saying all information would come only from the official Retro Jake's Facebook page. The Richmond and Muncie stores closed temporarily as family, friends and employees mourned. Funeral and memorial details had not been made public at the time of writing.

Jacob Payne grew up in east central Indiana, the region where he would later build his business. His exact date and place of birth have not been made public; news reports gave his age as 29 at his death in November 2026. As a teenager he faced a serious illness: he survived bone cancer in 2010, an experience later cited in coverage of his death. Details about his parents, schooling and childhood have not been widely published.

Details of Payne's formal education have not been made public. He built his business and his audience through hands on work behind the counter of his own stores rather than through any reported formal training in retail or media.

Payne founded Retro Jake's, a video game and collectibles store, in Connersville, Indiana. A local profile of the business described a grand opening on October 2, 2017, a large selection of games, consoles and DVDs, an arcade for families, and a branded Retro Jake's car used for advertising. The business expanded to Richmond, Indiana, and later to Muncie, Indiana. The Connersville store closed in 2024, while the Richmond and Muncie locations continued.

Alongside the stores, Payne built a large audience by filming everyday life at the counter. His YouTube channel, Retro Jakes, passed 555,000 subscribers, and his Facebook page passed 153,000 followers, with further audiences on Instagram and TikTok. Typical shorts showed customers trading in consoles, bulk lots and sealed collections, rare finds such as collector's editions, and staff members scanning and pricing stacks of games. Retro Jake's also launched its own shopping app, and the channel marked more than 10,000 app orders.

In 2026 his longer videos took the brand on the road: a trip to Rocket City Retro Fest in Huntsville, Alabama (February 2026), where he tried to sell a sealed Sega Genesis Mortal Kombat and raced to find every version of Star Fox; the first episode of a series called The Store, a road trip to Pittsburgh (February 2026); a tour of a secret video game warehouse (June 2026); and a versus challenge at the SoCal Gaming Expo (July 2026). His final long form upload, Life Update. Long Video Incoming, was posted on October 25, 2026.

Payne was married and had a young son; 812Now reported that he is survived by his wife and son. Their names have not been widely published. He lived and worked in the Richmond, Muncie and Connersville area of Indiana. Friends and customers described him as warm, generous and devoted to his staff and community.

Payne was openly Christian. In October 2026, a month before his death, he made a video professing his faith in God and encouraging others to follow Christ. "If you're ever in a situation and don't know what to do, just give [God] a chance. He will never leave or forsake you, even when you feel like you do the worst of the worst," he said. He also believed in supporting fellow small business owners and giving back locally.

Payne helped show that a small town game shop could become a global brand by sharing the ordinary, joyful moments of buying and trading retro games. His videos reached viewers across the United States and abroad, with tributes posted in English, Spanish, French and Arabic after his death. Fans credited him with keeping the joy of their childhoods alive, and Midwest collectors called his stores a destination. His Console For Kids initiative with the Richmond Police Department, which delivered consoles to Girls Inc. at Christmas 2025, is remembered as an example of the community spirit behind the brand.

No formal awards have been reported. His most visible recognition came from his audience: more than 555,000 YouTube subscribers and 153,000 Facebook followers, and a wave of tributes from creators, outlets such as Dexerto and ComicBook.com, and local businesses after his death.

Payne's main platforms were the Retro Jakes YouTube channel (@RetroJakesVideoGames), the Retro Jake's Facebook page, and Instagram and TikTok accounts under the handle retrojakesvideogames. His death was covered by Dexerto, ComicBook.com, IBTimes UK, The Sun, The Daily Game News and the Indiana outlet 812Now, and a Dexerto post about his death on X was viewed more than 450,000 times.