Update (07/02/20): It is being reported that Reckful has taken his own life at the age of 31. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or know anyone that is, and you would like to talk to someone, please reach out and call the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).
Original article:
Popular Twitch streamer Byron ‘Reckful’ Bernstein has had his account suspended on the platform, with fans left in the dark over the cause of the punishment.
The former World of Warcraft pro has been making big strides in his growth on the platform, gaining around 1,000 new followers a day in the month leading up to his ban on February 24.
He was fast approaching the 1 million follower mark, but his growth has now been stunted due to the suspension, with its exact cause still unclear.
Why was Reckful banned on Twitch?
A number of incidents did occur over the days leading up to his ban, any of which, or perhaps multiple, could have caused the punishment handed down by the Amazon-owned platform.
On February 22, a woman flashed her chest to the stream, while they held Reckful’s camera, which is the first incident some have pointed to. Later, he is said to have driven at over 100mph while holding his phone and displaying the dashboard. Twitch has taken a zero-tolerance approach to dangerous driving streams in the past, especially if there is speeding.
At this time, it cannot be confirmed what the exact cause of the ban was, nor how long the ban will last. Typically, the shortest suspensions are 24 hours, with longer bans reaching 30 days, or indefinite if a repeat suspension or a particularly serious case.
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Fellow streamer Mizkif explained that he spoke to Bernstein and advised him to delete the VOD of the broadcast, but apparently Reckful dismissed his warning.
Mizkif claims that Reckful was unperturbed by the threat of a potential ban, apparently responding, “if I get banned for a week, what, I can’t stream one time, I don’t give a sh*t.”
“That’s how he thinks,” Mizkif continued, “he genuinely did not give a– he was so uncaring about this, he was not willing to go to his stream, just click ‘delete all clips’ and end.”
Dexerto has reached out to Reckful for comment. At the time of writing, he has not addressed the suspension publicly.
Twitch does not comment on community guidelines violations to respect the privacy of users.