Today, former top World of Warcraft player and longtime Twitch streamer Byron “Reckful” Bernstein died.
Bernstein’s ex, Blue, and his close friend, Andy Milonakis, and posted about him on Twitter.
“Byron, I wish I could have helped you,” wrote Blue, saying that Bernstein died by suicide. “We all do. I’m so sorry I couldn’t. Thank you for being a part of my life. Love you always.”
“Heartbroken. Still in shock, I’ve dreaded that this day could possibly come. RIP Byron, I love you,” wrote Milonakis.
Esports consultant and journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau said that Bernstein’s roommate also confirmed his passing. Bernstein’s Twitch channel is now airing reruns with the stream title “RIP Reckful.”
Bernstein, 31, was a streamer and game developer who had a tremendous influence on countless streamers and viewers with a career that spanned much of Twitch’s existence. Once a top World of Warcraft player, he ultimately decided to make his own MMO, Everland, a game whose goal was to “help people find friendship and a sense of community.”
In recent years, Bernstein regularly spoke about his struggles with depression and mental health. In doing so, he expressed a desire to help others process their own trauma. If the current outpouring of love on Twitch and Twitter is anything to go on, he helped a whole, whole lot of people.
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the U.S. is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.