A community in mourning
Twitch is the most important platform for live video game streams, but it has also become a stage for other broadcasts that, while not traditional, carry enormous significance. The community of gamers and professional streamers recently suffered a huge loss with the passing of Phillip Klemenov, better known as Phizzurp, a professional Call of Duty player, a member of the H2K team, and a streamer with a large follower base on the platform.
On the morning of October 2, Phizzurp lost his life in a car accident while returning home after having dinner with his girlfriend and a friend. Reports are still contradictory: some say he lost control of the vehicle, while others claim he was a passenger alongside his girlfriend.
A funeral broadcast to thousands
His farewell took place through Twitch itself. A camera was set up at the funeral and broadcast a large part of the somber ceremony. Around ten thousand fans joined the chat to remember Klemenov and leave messages of appreciation.
Twitch meets grief
The streaming and e-sports world usually carries a heavy burden of toxicity from the average trolls. This time, however, none of that was visible. It is clear that Twitch is not particularly prepared for this kind of transmission, not because of technical difficulties, but because of the content itself. At the end of the day, Twitch is an entertainment platform, and watching a funeral there feels strange. Still, we appreciate that thousands of fans were able to leave a final message through that channel.
Our condolences go out to all of Phizzurp's family, friends, and teammates. He left far too soon.
Source: Engadget
Phizzurp's Twitch channel: twitch.tv/phizzurp
