The most popular Twitch clip of the hardcore shooter Escape from Tarkov is a short video where Bobuubi concludes a 9-hour stream. It shows the last minute before he leaves a bunker in eastern Ukraine and no one really knows what will happen next.
Trigger warning: This news is about a streamer in the war zone of Ukraine and his escape. It shows images of him saying goodbye to the viewers before a journey into the unknown. Some viewers describe these images as “heartbreaking” or as a “nightmare”. The content of this article may cause distress for some.
This is Bobuubi’s special situation: The Twitch streamer Bobuubi (or simply “Bob”) typically streams in front of 16 viewers, but he is in an extraordinary situation, as he describes (via tarkov.academy).
The Polish native wanted to build a life in eastern Ukraine. He established a family there, found a wife, and had two daughters. Back then, he thought the already ongoing war in eastern Ukraine would be over quickly and that he could build a good life there. But things only got worse.
With the outbreak of the Corona pandemic, his company went bankrupt. To avoid becoming depressed, he turned to the hardcore shooter “Escape from Tarkov”. Friends persuaded him to stream full-time on Twitch to support his family. He saw no other alternative in his situation.
“Bob” streams his favorite shooter in a rustic setting:
Bob did not want to stream from home to avoid disturbing the children but streamed from a military bunker where he brought supplies for a few days. He aimed to build a career as a Twitch streamer in a “authentic environment”. “Escape from Tarkov” is a Russian shooter that emphasizes realism and a brutally harsh scenario.
He hoped that the special atmosphere would attract viewers: He is streaming from a “real hideout” and fights for the “survival of his family”. However, he hasn’t had much success with this approach on Twitch in the two years he has been streaming. In 2021, Bob was seen for 3,700 hours, but on average only had 17 viewers.
Twitch clip shows departure into the unknown
This clip is now being viewed by so many: On February 23, Bob started a stream from his bunker that was intended to last 9 hours.
The stream ends with a passage that went around the world as a Twitch “clip”. The streamer tearfully says goodbye to his friends. It is clear that he wants to flee with his family at least from the worst crisis area and travel abroad.
He thanks his friends and viewers through tears for what they have done for him and then says:
“I just hope that it doesn’t spread to everyone from here.”
These were the reactions to the clip:
- The clip has now received 230,000 views – making it by far the largest clip of Escape from Tarkov in the last 30 days.
- The clip has received 26,700 upvotes on reddit/livestreamfails. This is usually a tough community that holds nothing sacred. But the clip has moved many. The life story of “Bob”, that he streams from a bunker because it’s the only way to provide for his family, impresses many.
People say it breaks their hearts to see it. It’s a “damn nightmare”.
He writes that he fled with his wife and daughters to a village with a friendly family of strangers who served them a home-cooked meal. He is overwhelmed by the love they are shown.
The streamer now wants to stay where he is and try to help on site with the Red Cross and make a difference.
He has also been back on air at Twitch. His viewer numbers have multiplied tenfold compared to his last stream.
The Russian Escape from Tarkov also has connections to the war in Ukraine as a game:
Shooter Escape from Tarkov is too realistic – In-game market heavily affected by Ukraine war
The title image comes from a YouTube video by the streamer.
Especially hard: At the time the clip went around the world, no one knew what would happen to the streamer after the stream ended. He had not been on air for days.
– Ukraine live blog (via Zeit)
– War in Ukraine: Belarusian troops reportedly invade Ukraine (via nzz)
– Solidarity with Ukraine (via auswärtiges-amt)
Important note: If you are struggling with dark thoughts due to the current situation: You are not alone. Please seek help. For example, through telephone counseling at 0800/111 0 111 or the online counseling, where you can also use a chat. This is free and applies nationwide.
How is the streamer doing today? Bob has shared his recent days with his family through Twitter and Instagram. Apparently, everything has gone well. Although still in Ukraine, they are “closer to the border”: He shares images of his children playing with a dog.
He writes that he fled with his wife and daughters to a village with a friendly family of strangers who served them a home-cooked meal. He is overwhelmed by the love they are shown.
The streamer now wants to stay where he is and try to help on site with the Red Cross and make a difference.
He has also been back on air at Twitch. His viewer numbers have multiplied tenfold compared to his last stream.
The Russian Escape from Tarkov also has connections to the war in Ukraine as a game:
Shooter Escape from Tarkov is too realistic – In-game market heavily affected by Ukraine war
The title image comes from a YouTube video by the streamer.
