Man who created viral video game at just 14 died while on live stream – both his account on the streaming app and the video of his tragic passing have been removed
The creator of a viral video game has passed away while streaming on the popular platform Twitch. He was best known for creating the multiplayer game Stick Run at just 14 years old.
Manuel Otto, 30, was broadcasting to followers on Tuesday evening when the incident occurred. His body was found after a fire at in southeast Germany after a neighbour noticed the blaze and tried to extinguish it.
Stick Run acknowledged the incident and said that Mr Otto appeared to have taken his own life.
“Stick Run is aware of a livestream on Twitch involving its creator and owner, Manuel Otto, in which he appeared to have taken his own life. We understand that Twitch has since removed the livestream and associated video,” Stick Run said in a post on X.
“We encourage the community to refrain from spreading unverified information or speculation,” the statement continued.
“If you have any information that may help clarify the circumstances surrounding this incident, please reach out to us or contact your local law enforcement agency.”
His popular video game first emerged as a free-to-play game on Facebook in 2010. Since then, it has been played by more than 43 million people globally on both desktops and cell phones, according to Dexerto.
The game’s official X page later issued another statement which read: “It is with a heavy heart that we confirm and announce the passing of our creator, developer, and fellow Stick Runner, Marc-Manuel Alexander Otto.”
A spokesperson for Twitch told The Post that Mr Otto’s channel and any video of his death was removed.
“What took place is horrible, and the mental health and wellbeing of our community matters deeply to us,” the spokesperson said.
“We encourage anyone who may be struggling to seek support, and we offer tools on Twitch to help people connect with local mental health resources in their area. We moved quickly to remove the channel and Video on Demand to prevent it from being viewed by others.”
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