STICK RUN CONFIRMS CREATOR MANUEL OTTO'S DEATH

Stick Run has confirmed the death of its creator, Marc-Manuel Alexander Otto, on its official Facebook page. “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. In a separate statement, Stick Run said Otto appeared to have died by suicide during a Twitch livestream on Tuesday. The account urged people to avoid spreading unverified claims about the circumstances and asked anyone with information to contact Stick Run or local law enforcement.

Otto, who was from Germany, released Stick Run on Facebook in 2010. In the free-to-play game, players guide a stick figure through obstacles while collecting points and coins. Otto said in an earlier interview that cartoons and sketches he made on his computer led him to try game development. He described teaching himself through “trial and error”. Figures cited for 2013 put Stick Run’s user base at more than 43 million.

Otto later founded a company that his father initially managed because Otto was a minor. Stick Run’s official Facebook page has more than five million followers. A Twitch spokesperson said the platform removed Otto’s channel and video of his death, and said Twitch offers tools to connect users with local mental health resources. Stick Run offered condolences to Otto’s family and friends and said players’ memories of the game would continue to honour his work.