Twitch streamer Byron “Reckful” Bernstein, who was previously a pro World of Warcraft player, passed away on July 2nd reportedly taking his own life.
Bernstein was only 31 years old.
A series of tweets sparked concern about Reckful’s well being as the morning of July 2 started.
ahh, i feel bad for anyone who has to deal with my insanity
— Reckful (@Byron) July 2, 2020
please just know in these situations the insane person does not feel in control of their actions
— Reckful (@Byron) July 2, 2020
These comments came after Bernstein proposed to fellow streamer Becca Cho.
i know i’ll always be a little too crazy… and this is proof… but at least you’ll never be bored
will you marry me, becca? pic.twitter.com/Xpmz3IlRqv
— Reckful (@Byron) July 2, 2020
DO NOT make her feel pressured to say yes, i am completely insane here
i have not seen her in 6 months.
the reason for the post is
I know she’s the one i want forever, and I wanted her to know my commitment is real
— Reckful (@Byron) July 2, 2020
Shortly after the Tweets, Reckful’s ex-girlfriend Blue Goes Mew, whose real name is Blue Madrigal, would confirm that he was gone.
Yes, it’s him. He’s gone.
— Blue (@BlueGoesMew) July 2, 2020
Bernstein’s brother also confirmed his death.
My baby brother Byron @reckful is gone. RIP. He left in a similar way as my older brother Guy. I’ve no siblings left.
If you have stories and pictures of him, please share them. pic.twitter.com/11sNZkNxFy
— Gary Bernstein 🌹 (@Gary_Bernstein) July 2, 2020
Cho confirm Reckful had passed as well.
RIP july 2, 2020
Read: https://t.co/B70pWw96iR
— Becca (@BeccaTILTS) July 2, 2020
On her Instagram, Cho details that Bernstein was struggling with depression and mental health issues.
Reckful leaves behind a storied legacy in both gaming and streaming.
In World of Warcraft, he finished rank one for six seasons in a row and was the first player to reach a 3000 rating.
He won Major League Gaming’s WoW tournament in 2010.
He later transitioned to Hearthstone, and took second place at BlizzCon’s 2013 Invitational.
Reckful was also one of Twitch’s first big streaming names.
As a variety streamer, he entertained an audience of nearly a million followers.
His content consisted of cooking, gaming, and IRL vlogging.
As news spread of Bernstein’s passing, many heartfelt tweets from across the streaming world came in, expressing condolences.
Heartbroken. Still in shock, I’ve dreaded that this day could possibly come. RIP Byron, I love you
— Andy Milonakis (@andymilonakis) July 2, 2020
Byron was an huge inspiration in many ways for me and and a lot of people/streamer. He changed streaming forever, we’re going to miss him so much.
— xQc (@xQc) July 2, 2020
RIP Reckful. Absolutely floored. Man is and will always be an absolute legend.
— Lirik (@LIRIK) July 2, 2020
RIP Reckful
I hope this will be a wakeup call to everyone who creates a reward structure around ridiculing and mocking mental illness
We can be better as a community and we will be better.
— Zack (@Asmongold) July 2, 2020
Twitch also paid tribute to the long time streamer.
Rest in peace, Reckful.https://t.co/dyRnzfMLU3 pic.twitter.com/Va9Ybyc94Q
— Twitch (@Twitch) July 2, 2020
Rod “Slasher” Breslau tweeted a link to a video that highlights Byron Bernstein’s legacy and importance to the gaming and streaming world.
I encourage everyone to watch this wonderfully done in-depth look into the history and legacy of Reckful https://t.co/lvwrhwX0Bk
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) July 3, 2020
Huge in-game gatherings happened in World of Warcraft dedicated to Reckful.
Rest in peace, Byron “Reckful” Bernstein. pic.twitter.com/B3i4CGISx0
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) July 2, 2020
Both Alliance and Horde players gathered in solidarity without combat, to pay tribute.
This happened on multiple servers, in every iteration of WoW from the retail version to classic.
Byron “Reckful” Bernstein’s loss will be felt for a long time.
The contributions he made to the gaming and streaming worlds will not soon be forgotten.
Jenna Wollet has organized a GoFundMe for Itamar Bernstein for Reckful’s funeral.
Bryon’s family would love for him to be buried next to his brother, Guy, but it is very costly. Please help us to make this a reality for them. It would mean everything. https://t.co/nVDfJgSvOS
— Jenna W. (@lilgingerb) July 4, 2020
Reckful’s passing underscores the importance of reaching out to your support network if you’re fighting with depression.
Even if you feel like you can’t, try to reach out to a friend, family member, even a stranger and talk about those feelings.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255