Reckful, was a Twitch streamer and professional esports player from the United States. In the gaming world, he was best renowned for his achievements in World of Warcraft and Asheron's Call.
On July 2, 2020, the gaming and streaming communities were left in shock following the tragic death of Byron Bernstein, better known as Reckful.
His death surprised fans, friends, and coworkers alike. He was a beloved and prominent character in the worlds of online gaming and live broadcasting.
In this article, we will explore the circumstances surrounding Reckful's death, highlighting the importance of mental health awareness and the challenges he faced during his life.
Who Is Reckful?
Reckful was born on May 8, 1989, in Los Angeles into a Jewish family to Itamar and Judith Bernstein. Guy, the oldest of his two elder brothers. His real name was Byron Daniel Bernstein.
Bernstein described himself as a “nerdy kid that no one liked” in elementary school, where he was mocked for his difficulty speaking English, his second language.
Bernstein stated that he was a brilliant student who excelled in arithmetic, but that being mocked deterred him from participating in school activities.
When he got to high school, he acquired acquaintances, but he said his life focused on playing Asheron's Call, which fell out of favor as World of Warcraft gained popularity, and he slid into bouts of melancholy and attempted suicide at the age of 16.
Due to sadness, he later dropped out of high school. He admitted that video games were a source of escapism for him.
Bernstein stated that his brother's death had a major impact on his life and subsequent depressive issues. Bernstein was diagnosed as a child with bipolar II condition.
Bernstein stated that his family would not allow him to try selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors because they believed they were the cause of his brother's death.
He tried psilocybin mushrooms during a trip to Amsterdam, which he stated helped him for the first time.
How Did Reckless Die?
On Thursday, Byron Bernstein was discovered dead in his Austin, Texas, apartment. His previous girlfriend and brother both confirmed the news on social media. Reckful was only 31 years old when he died.
The actual cause of death has yet to be determined, but the former esports pro allegedly committed himself hours after proposing to his fiancée on Twitter.
Becca, the girl he proposed to, issued a statement shortly after the incident on Twitter, revealing that she was unable to notice his proposal until it was too late.
Byron would frequently discuss his mental health on podcasts and streams, where he also discussed his issues with depression and bipolar disorder.
Fans became concerned for the streamer early Thursday morning after he tweeted a series of unnerving ambiguous tweets that frightened his followers.
Twitch also issued a statement expressing its sadness after learning of the tragic news. According to the online gaming site, the pro WoW streamer was a pioneer in the online gaming community who helped propel the entire business ahead.
It went on to say that his tireless pursuit of perfection forever transformed the communities he was able to establish in the games he played.
Byron Reckful Bernstein previously published a video on this social media handle in which he described losing his brother to suicide when he was just six years old, as well as his issues with mental health.
Byron also said that he was working on improving himself and creating a new game to give him a feeling of purpose.
How Did Reckless Rise to Fame?
Bernstein was a professional World of Warcraft player best recognized for his creative “rogue” classplay style and a Twitch pioneer in video game live streaming.
His rise to prominence in the game began when he finished in the top 0.1% of the competitive ladder without using what were deemed key gameplay elements at the time. In multiple competitive seasons in a row, he finished in the top 0.1% of the player base.
He took part in a few events and won the Major League Gaming World of Warcraft tournament in 2010.
Bernstein released the video game film Reckful 3 in 2011. Within a week, it got one million views (the video had over six million views as of January 2022).
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He went on to win the WarcraftMovies top-skilled tournament, in which players voted for player of the year. In 2012, he joined Feenix, a gaming mouse startup, as a developer, operations manager, and concept designer.
