On March 14, the e-sports athlete and Twitch streamer Justus “Flobby” von Eitzen passed away at the age of 22. Fans as well as his personal and professional environment are in shock.
Warning: This article discusses mental health and suicide. Please be mindful if these topics cause you discomfort.
Who was “Flobby”? Justus von Eitzen was an e-sports athlete and Twitch streamer for the mobile game Clash Royale. From a young age, he loved strategy games and chess and was considered one of the best players in the world.
With his team from SK Gaming, he achieved 2nd place in the fall season of the Clash Royale League 2018 and was able to reach 1st place in the QLASH League 2 in 2019. On Twitch, Flobby was a popular streamer and was among the most viewed German channels for Clash Royale (via sullygnome).
As SK Gaming announced on the night of March 14, 2023, via Twitter, the 22-year-old died as a result of an apparently intentional car accident after leaving a farewell letter for his family (via Twitter).
Great mourning for Flobby
Under the tweet from SK Gaming, there are numerous expressions of condolences. Content creators share their memories of Flobby and talk about their encounters with the 22-year-old.
Among those mourning is also the German Twitch streamer Domenic “Chefstrobel” Strobel, who also became known through Clash Royale. He remembered the games he played with Flobby and called for talking to people in one’s environment if there are problems.
Flobby, you were such a kind-hearted person. […] Tonight I think of you and cry. I hope you are doing well, wherever you are, rest easy my friend. […] If you have problems, no matter in what form, there are always people who can and want to help you. Talk to your family or friends, you can achieve everything together.
Chefstrobel via Twitter
Lucas “BigSpin” Nägeler, also from SK Gaming, announced on Twitch that von Eitzen was in debt due to sports betting. The Twitch streamer Marius “drecksuser” published a thread on Twitter about the topic.
The streamer talked about his own experiences and the severe consequences of gambling addiction and criticized the omnipresence of advertising for sports betting providers.
I am really crying about this topic right now. It makes me so sad, these are always the everyday things, you just can’t tell it by looking at someone, you feel really powerless. It’s crazy how addiction, whatever it may be, can have such a grip on people and drive them to such a decision.
via Twitter
He also urges those affected to seek help and calls for taking care of oneself and one’s fellow human beings.
Additional support options can be found on the homepage of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
If you or people in your environment are affected by gambling addiction, you can contact the counseling service of the BZgA anonymously and free of charge at 0800 1 37 27 00.
