Fans of Manuel Otto, creator of the widely popular Facebook game Stick Run, are mourning the gaming “legend” after he apparently died by suicide during a livestream.
The German computer whiz, who was just 14 when he developed Stick Run, reportedly took his own life while broadcasting to followers on Twitch on Tuesday evening.
“Long live a legend,” one Facebook user wrote, recalling that they “couldn’t have been older than 8” when they became addicted to the game.
“This game had me hooked for many, many hours. I remember getting every single item,” another Facebook user said.
The commenter added that “every single upgrade” involved performing increasingly wild stunts and covering greater distances.
Otto also played Stick Run under the username “Mwni,” a choice that helped him maintain a close connection with the game’s community.
“I remember being a freakin’ child, dude,” one commenter wrote.
“Playing on my great-grandmama’s old Windows computer and booting up this account back in 2013,” the commenter continued.
“Time flies. I had so much fun, and I know everyone else has fun on here too.”
“Today I found out, over a decade later, that the beautiful creator of this game and universe has passed,” the user wrote. “Thank you, Manuel, and rest in peace, Mwni.”
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Otto, a 30-year-old German influencer, was found dead after a fire at a property in Bavaria, southeastern Germany. A neighbor reportedly spotted the blaze and attempted to put it out, according to local outlet PNP.
German prosecutors do not believe a third party was involved in his death, according to German outlet Bild.
“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 on Monday.
“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,” the statement added.
“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,” Stick Run’s official X account said in a follow-up statement on Tuesday.
A Twitch spokesperson told The Post that the platform swiftly removed Otto’s channel and all videos depicting his death.
“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 added.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
