US gamer Byron ‘Reckful’ Bernstein dies by suicide

American gamer Byron ‘Reckful’ Bernstein and popular Twitch streamer has died by suicide at age 31, reports say.

A Twitter user who claimed to be a former partner broke the news in a series of posts, and esports journalist Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau said a roommate confirmed Reckful’s death.

Bernstein was known for being a pro World Of Warcraft player and was working on his own video game called Everland.

He went by the name Reckful on Twitch, a popular video live streaming service among gamers, where he was best known for his World Of Warcraft streams and had over 936,000 followers, according to Variety.

The official Twitch Twitter account posted about Bernstein’s death, calling him a “streaming pioneer”.

“As we process this loss, we have to recognise that the stigma around mental health and treatment often prevents people from seeking and getting the help they need,” the post read.

Bernstein also had over 250,000 followers on YouTube. In a video posted in May, Bernstein showed viewers his game Everland, which had been in development for two years.

— With inputs from Reuters