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'Lost an icon': Death of popular streamer, 31, rocks gaming world

andrew reid
·5-min read
Pictured here, Byron Bernstein had a massive following in the online gaming community.
Byron Bernstein's death has left the online gaming community devastated. Pic: Instagram

Tributes are pouring in on social media after the devastating news that popular online gamer Byron Bernstein has died at the age of 31.

Better known by his online alias 'Reckful', Bernstein had more than 259,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, with his videos watched millions of times from fans all around the world.

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He also had nearly half a million followers on streaming platform Twitch, which released a statement after news of his death rocked the gaming community.

"We're devastated to hear of Byron's passing. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and community. He was a streaming pioneer and helped propel the whole industry forward," the statement said.

"Byron was someone who talked about his struggles to help make from for others to do the same. As we process this loss, we have to recognize that the stigma around mental health and treatment often prevents people from seeking and getting the help they need."

'Reckful' was one of Twitch's first major streamers and was synonymous in the gaming community with Asheron’s Call and being one of the best World of Warcraft players.

Reckful’s heartbreaking final tweets to ex

Bernstein was open in discussing his mental health battles, and he posted a series of heartbreaking tweets to his ex-girlfriend in the hours before his death.

"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?" he wrote in a tweet.

"DO NOT make her feel pressured to say yes, I am completely insane here I have not seen her in 6 months," Bernstein added.

"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."

He then followed up those tweets with a chilling reference to his mental health struggles.

"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."

WARNING: The following video contains explicit language

In a devastating aftermath to his death, Bernstein's former girlfriend replied to his tweets - paying a heartfelt tribute to the 31-year-old.

"I didn't see the proposal until it was too late but that doesn't change the fact that I wasn't able to be there for him," she tweeted.

"He was amazing. He taught me how to have fun, to experience more, and challenged me to try to be more than what I was," she wrote of the Texas-based gamer. "He was larger than life, too big for this world."

"He brought me to realize that I knew NOTHING about depression, NOTHING about mental health issues," she continued. "I had this vague idea of what it was and embarrassingly thought that I could help with trivial bullshit."

A flood of tributes for Bernstein poured in on social media as the gaming community remembered the popular streamer, including one from his older brother, Gary.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.