Known for his insanely talented gameplay, calm, collected, and absolutely dominating demeanor, Byron Bernstein, also known as Reckful, has passed away as revealed by his roommate and confirmed by Slasher earlier today.
It’s always heart wrenching when you hear that someone has lost their life. For many of us, Reckful was the epitome of an amazing person who pulled in a supportive crowd, one that would cheer him on and back him up during powerful and astonishing plays. Some would even cheer him on, giving him a reason to keep pushing forward during even his most difficult moments.
However, the popular Hearthstone and World of Warcraft streamer has left us as of today, he was 31 years old. Many, including sports consultant Rod “Slasher” Breslau, have corroborated the report, confirming the passing of Bernstein earlier today. Bernstein’s roommate, ‘Blue’ has also confirmed the passing of the 31-year-old former pro gamer and content creator.
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
In response to his passing, the WoW community, including enigmatic and sometimes rather hilarious streamer, Asmongold, have begun to hold memorials across the World of Warcraft servers in honor of Bernstein’s Legacy. Bernstein’s career started in 2009 where he one of the top players of World of Warcraft, claiming the highest-ranked spot in PvP for six consecutive seasons, even moving on to win the Major League Gaming WoW Tournament in 2010.
From there, he continued on, cementing his legacy in the history books as a professional gamer. Later, he transitioned to competitive Hearthstone play, participating in and casting professional matches for multiple years following his transition. In 2012, Bernstein became a developer, operations manager, and concept designer at the gaming mouse company called Feenix.
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
The cause of death, many expect, was suicide.
If you or anyone you know are in a crisis or need someone to talk to, please reach out and call the Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-8255.
About the Writer(s):
Dustin is our native video game reviewer who has an appetite for anything that crosses the borders from across the big pond. His interest in JRPG’s, Anime, Handheld Gaming, and Pizza is insatiable. You can find him over on Twitter or Facebook where he interacts with his followers quite a bit!