World of Tanks streamer dies during 24-hour Twitch marathon

Twitch streamer Brian Vigneault, aka Poshybrid, has died during a 24-hour World of Tanks marathon. According to eyewitnesses, Vigneault left his desk at around 3:30am on February 19, during the 22nd hour of the stream, and didn't return.

The 35-year-old father was streaming to raise money for the Make-A-Wish foundation. While viewers and moderators had assumed Vigneault was asleep, a friend later attempted to contact the streamer via Discord, only to receive a response from a Virginia Beach detective advising he had died, and that the death was being investigated. Kotaku confirmed the investigation with the Virginia Beach police department. “There is no reason at this time to suspect foul play,” a police spokesperson told Polygon.

It's unclear whether Vigneault's death is a direct result of the streaming marathon, but the phenomenon has been under scrutiny for its potential health impacts.

Vigneault's gaming clan FAME posted a statement on its Facebook page today in tribute to the Twitch personality. "...we just can not find words to describe how sad is this moment for all of us and for sure this game will not be the same without the legend," it reads. "Maybe the saddest lines can not really be written, and the saddest thoughts can not really be uttered."

The streamer's Twitch channel has become an impromptu place for tributes to Vigneault.

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Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.