Today has proven a sad day in the gaming and streaming community. Earlier this afternoon, the death of Byron Bernstein, better known as Reckful, was confirmed by his roommate and former girlfriend.
Reckful was most known, and will remain known, for the trail he blazed for streamers of a variety of different titles. Well-known in the World of Warcraft community for his massive number of accomplishments, Reckful served as a role model to countless people in the community.
Among his seemingly-endless accomplishments, Reckful achieved a great amount of renown for becoming the first World of Warcraft player to reach a 3000 PvP rating. He also finished first in the 2010 MLG Washington DC, as well as second place in Hearthstone‘s Invitational Blizzcon 2013.
In solidarity and remembrance of Reckful, players have come together to celebrate his accomplishments and legacy. Many on the retail World of Warcraft servers have taken to the Stormwind Cathedral and Grommash Hold in gatherings dedicated to his memory.
Additionally, players have been journeying to Tiragarde Sound to visit the NPC Byron Burnside, an NPC and vendor based on Reckful. Social media and forums dedicated to the game have been absolutely filled with condolences and memories.
Rest in peace, Byron "Reckful" Bernstein. pic.twitter.com/B3i4CGISx0
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) July 2, 2020
Through his career, Reckful was outspoken on his battle with depression and the resounding effect the suicide of his brother, Guy, had on him. Because of this, many saw Reckful as a role model of the incredible strength needed to battle mental illness.
Reckful served as a beacon for members of the gaming and streaming community of all walks of life, especially those that struggled with mental health. His legacy is one spent spreading joy and accomplishment, as well as helping to destigmatize mental illness as a whole.
Unfortunately, while we will share no details, Reckful’s cause of death was confirmed by those that announced it to have been a suicide.
As so much of the community comes together in memory of Reckful and his amazing legacy, a bright spotlight has been shined on battling mental illness and on mental health as a whole. Members of the community are encouraging others to share their stories as they share their own.
Most importantly, everyone is doing what they can to remind each other that, despite the grim world that we’ve found ourselves in the following few years, none of us are alone. If you need someone to speak to, we highly encourage you to reach out to your friends and let them reach out to you, as well as contacting your National Suicide Hotline for assistance in the battle.
