Reckful, Prominent WoW and Hearthstone Streamer, Dies at 31

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Reckful, Prominent WoW and Hearthstone Streamer, Dies at 31

World of Warcraft and Hearthstone streamer Byron 'Reckful' Bernstein died today by suicide, multiple sources have confirmed. A user announced his death in a series of tweets, as reported by esports insider Rod 'Thrasher' Breslau, and the news was also confirmed by his roommate. Bernstein was 31.

Bernstein was one of Twitch's first big streamers. He was first recognized in World of Warcraft PvP in 2009, and went on to win the highest PvP title for six consecutive seasons. Bernstein then turned to competitive Hearthstone, playing and casting professional matches. Over the years, he has had his share of controversy. His Twitch account was temporarily suspended earlier this year after a series of live streams violated rules not specified in Twitch's code of conduct. More famously, Bernstein was also permanently banned from World of Warcraft for sharing his account.

Bernstein's struggle with mental illness was also well known and frequently discussed. Streamers discussed his diagnosis of bipolar disorder and his struggle with depression, and he once live-streamed a conversation with psychiatrist Dr. Alok Khanoja. Bernstein had not livestreamed for almost a month, but remained active on social media. Hours before his death was reported, Bernstein posted a series of tweets, including one that read, "Oh, I'm sorry for anyone who has to deal with my madness."

Following Bernstein's death, many of the big names in the Twitch community took to Twitter. Actor and comedian Andy Milonakis said, "I've been dreading this day for a long time." RIP Byron, love you."

"This is not a 'fuck 2020' moment," wrote Marcus Graham, Twitch's head of creative development. This is a "mental health needs attention" and "we need better resources for the gaming/streaming community" moment. Sure, 2020 sucks, but there are more reasons for us to recognize and fight the stigma around mental health RIP BYRON."

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, there are many resources available to you, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (USA), Crisis Services Canada ( California), Samaritans (UK), or Lifeline (Australia). If you are outside of these areas, check this list for hotlines in your country.

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