Video game developer Manuel Otto has died following an apparent suicide that was reportedly broadcast during a livestream.
The team behind the popular game Stick Run confirmed Otto’s death in an Oct. 21 Facebook post.
“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 statement said. “Today we mourn not only the loss of our creator but also a fellow Stick Runner whose work became a part of our lives. His legacy will live on through every memory, every run and every player who grew up playing Stick Run.”
“Thank you, Manuel, for being a part of our childhood,” the message continued. “You will never be forgotten.”
The fatal fire was reported Oct. 20 at a top-floor apartment in Breitbrunn, Germany, according to a release from Upper Bavaria South Police. A resident had extinguished most of the flames before emergency crews reached the scene.
“It was too late to save one person still inside the apartment,” police said. Authorities believe the victim was likely the 30-year-old tenant, though his identity had not been definitively confirmed. The Rosenheim Criminal Police Inspectorate is investigating the incident.
Police said they had found no indication that another person was involved. Officials have not disclosed the victim’s cause of death.
Stick Run released a concerning statement about the incident that same day.
“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,” the company wrote on Facebook. “We understand that Twitch has since removed the livestream and associated video.”
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“We are deeply concerned by this situation and ask that everyone respect the privacy of those involved during this difficult time,” the statement added. “We encourage the community to refrain from spreading unverified information or speculation.”
A Twitch spokesperson told Oxygen that the platform acted quickly to remove Otto’s channel and the video so others could not view it.
“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.”
Otto created Stick Run, a game that challenges players to guide a stick figure through an obstacle course, in 2010 at age 14, according to CNN Brasil.
By 2013, Stick Run ranked among Facebook’s most-played games, attracting roughly 43 million users, according to German outlet OVB.
Otto, who was 17 at the time, told the outlet that he had a passion for animation and hoped to create a video game of his own.
Players can trade valuable items in Stick Run to advance, although Otto acknowledged that those transactions could leave users “incredibly ripped off.”
“It’s like the free-market economy,” he said. “And prepares you for life.”
Representatives for Upper Bavaria South Police and Stick Run did not immediately respond to Oxygen’s requests for comment.