TotalBiscuit, the online handle of John Bain — a popular and influential British video-game critic, esports commentator and YouTube creator — has died. He was 33.
Bain revealed in 2014 that he had bowel cancer, and this past April announced that the disease had spread to the point where he would be retiring from reviewing games. He died on Thursday.
TotalBiscuit’s YouTube channel has 2.2 million followers, and his videos have been viewed 867 million times to date. He also was a frequent presence on Twitch, the game-broadcasting service. TotalBiscuit began posting gameplay videos on YouTube after he was laid off from his job at a financial-services firm in 2010.
His wife, Genna Bain, posted the text of “Love Constant Beyond Death,” a poem by Francisco de Quevedo, in a tribute to him on Thursday.
On Twitch, TotalBiscuit created the “LUL” emote, a picture of himself laughing, which he began offering to users on his channel with keyword “cynicallaugh.”
Twitch issued a statement Thursday about his death: “John Bain’s opinionated game critiques and sense of humor led to him becoming one of the most prominent voices in the gaming industry. The emote bearing his face represents the indelible mark that he has left on Twitch. Thank you for everything, TotalBiscuit.”
Other tributes to TotalBiscuit poured out from friends, fans and partners following the news of his death:
