Manuel Otto, 30, the German creator of the viral multiplayer game Stick Run, died after reportedly setting himself on fire during a Twitch livestream.
Otto’s body was discovered following a fire at a property in Bavaria, southeast Germany, last Tuesday evening, after a neighbor spotted the blaze and attempted to extinguish it, according to local reports. The influencer, who was just 14 when he built his most famous game, was broadcasting live to followers when the incident occurred.
Stick Run addressed the tragedy in an X post on Monday, acknowledging the livestream and its aftermath. “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,” the game’s official account wrote.
“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,” it went on.
The following day, Stick Run’s official X page posted a follow-up statement confirming the news. “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,” the account shared.
Twitch moved rapidly to scrub the content from its platform. A spokesperson for the streaming service said the company removed Otto’s channel and all video of his death shortly after the incident. “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,” they continued.
“We moved quickly to remove the channel and Video on Demand to prevent it from being viewed by others,” the spokesperson added.
Otto launched Stick Run as a free-to-play game on Facebook in 2010. The title has since reportedly drawn more than 43 million players worldwide across desktop and mobile platforms, according to gaming outlet Dexerto.