The Capcom community is getting misty-eyed after one fan shared how Pragmata reminded him of his late daughter.
The subreddit for Capcom’s new third-person sci-fi action game has been home to hundreds of messages from fans since it was announced in 2020. However, it’s 55-year-old gamer TheRealDuke777‘s post from just five days ago that has rocketed to the top of its all-time list, and it’s easy to see why.
The post introduces readers to McKenzie Erin, his daughter who passed away at 8 years old in 2009. Placed atop side-by-side images comparing her to Pragmata’s Diana is a simple title: “Missing My Little Girl.”
“She’s forever eight,” TheRealDuke777 said. “This is her in the picture above.”
In a separate post, he explained that McKenzie had seizures and atrial tachycardia starting at just 11 months old, which then developed into Super Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT), a condition that causes the heart to beat faster than normal, after she turned 8. One day while playing outside, she passed out and had a seizure, and then was flown to a children’s hospital. She was pronounced with no brain activity on her sixth day in the hospital.
“We never get over losing a child or someone THAT close to us,” he said. “We just learn to get through it. We get through it every single day over and over again. Some days are easier, especially with time. Some days take me back to that time.”
After last playing video games in college three decades ago, he says he fell back in love with gaming in February 2024 thanks to the efforts of his 9-year-old daughter, Ella. What began with Fortnite eventually blossomed into Hogwarts Legacy and the Red Dead Redemption series. They’re experiences that he says “helped me get through a lot in life,” but Pragmata is one game that he’s had in the back of his mind for some time.
“When I watched some videos of PRAGMATA, Ella said, ‘Daddy, she reminds me of pictures of McKenzie. I wonder if Diana is like McKenzie?'” TheRealDuke777 added. “So I purchased the whole bundle and we started playing it.”
Diana is an android sidekick with hacking abilities who accompanies Earth’s Hugh Williams throughout the events of Pragmata. If you couldn’t tell from the previously shared pictures, she also happens to look a lot like McKenzie, but TheRealDuke777 said the similarities don’t stop there. Now, after playing through what he estimates to be about 30% of the story, he said Pragmata has allowed him to spend more time with Ella, too.
“Diana is very much like both my daughters,” he continued. “Maybe I got a little bit teary eyed. Maybe… I absolutely love this game and the time Ella spends with me. PRAGMATA is Therapeutic for my soul.”
Replies to the post have been filled with hundreds of comments from fans sharing their condolences. Some even took to the replies section to share their own memories of loved ones they’ve lost. Even game director Cho Yong-hee acknowledged and replied to the story after the post made its way to X/Twitter.
Pragmata launches for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S April 17, 2026. We gave it an 8/10 in our review.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
