Twitch Says It 'Moved Quickly' to Remove Channel After Stick Run Creator Manuel Otto's Death

Twitch told USA Today it 'moved quickly to remove the channel' of Manuel Otto, the 30-year-old German creator of the browser game Stick Run. Otto died during a livestream on the platform on Tuesday, 20 October. Twitch's statement did not say how long the broadcast stayed live or how many people saw it.

The Stick Run team said in a statement on X that Otto appeared to have ended his life during the stream. The team confirmed his death a day later. Without those details, Twitch's claim to have acted quickly remains untested against its own past cases.

What Twitch Has Said

USA Today reported the statement from spokesperson Megan Kay on Wednesday, 21 October. Kay called what happened horrible and said the company cared deeply about the mental health of its users. The spokesperson also urged anyone struggling to seek support. Kay pointed to Twitch's own tools that link users with local mental health services. Kotaku separately reported that the stream video was no longer available on the platform.

Twitch has published viewing figures and timelines in past cases. An attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany, streamed live on Twitch for 35 minutes in October 2019. Twitch said about five people watched live, and about 2,200 saw a recording in the half-hour before the company took it down. After a gunman streamed an attack that killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket in May 2022, it said it pulled the stream in under two minutes.

The Game He Made at 14

Otto launched Stick Run as a Facebook game in August 2010, when he was 14. Players guide a stick figure through an obstacle course, collecting coins and points as they run. By 2013, the game had more than 43 million users, according to the German paper OVB, which profiled him that year. He told the paper he had enjoyed animated films and making small sketches on his computer as a boy, before trying to build a game. Nekki later published several official mobile versions.

In a tribute on X on 21 October, the team wrote that 'Stick Run was more than just a game.' Its statement described players who grew up playing it with friends, sharing laughs and competing for high scores. A separate Instagram post thanked Otto and said fans would never forget him. The game's Facebook page, its original home, has more than 5.3 million followers. Within hours, USA Today counted over 16,600 likes on the post announcing his death.

A Request for Privacy

The Stick Run team has asked people to respect the privacy of those involved. In its first post on X, on 20 October, it also urged fans not to spread unverified information or speculation. Samaritans' guidance for the media warns that detailed coverage of a suicide, especially of the method, can put vulnerable people at risk.

Anyone in the UK who is struggling can contact Samaritans for free, day or night, on 116 123. In the US, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline answers calls and texts on 988, around the clock. Elsewhere, the Befrienders Worldwide website lists free support services in other countries.