Popular streamer and former top-ranked World of Warcraft player Byron “Reckful” Berstein has reportedly died. He was 31 years old.
The news first made the rounds on Twitter from esports journalist Rod “Slasher” Breslau. Reckful’s death was then confirmed by numerous other individuals close to him.
according to his ex girlfriend, Byron ‘Reckful’ Bernstein has passed away. i can’t believe this.
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) July 2, 2020
Immediately before the news, Reckful released a strange series of tweets that indicated he was going to propose to an ex-girlfriend. 37 minutes later, he posted another pair of tweets.
“I feel bad for anyone who has to deal with my insanity. Please just know in these situations the insane person does not feel in control of their actions,” Reckful said.
An ex-girlfriend of Reckful’s, @BlueGoesMew on Twitter, released a series of tweets related to his death and indicated that Reckful had committed suicide.
I… I’m at a loss right now. Something I’ve been scared of happening for so long happened. I can’t stop crying. It’s so painful. Please no.
— Blue (@BlueGoesMew) July 2, 2020
“Someone I love killed themselves. I wish I could have said something to prevent it…I keep thinking there’s something I could have said or done. I wish I reached out more,” she said.
Following the news, fans of Reckful flooded his Twitch chat, expressing their grief and encouraging one another to look out for themselves.
Reckful was a star of World of Warcraft, streaming
Reckful enjoyed a very long run as World of WarCraft’s top player, standing atop the 3v3 ladder for Wrath of the Lich King seasons 4 through 8 and Cataclysm season 9. He was previously sponsored by Complexity Gaming.
He was one of Twitch’s early stars, attracting attention through his skills and savvy in the MMORPG as well as with his personality. He had nearly one million subscribers before his death.
Reckful has previously discussed struggling with mental health issues, including having bipolar disorder and having attempted suicide in the past.
