Brian Vigneault, known to some as “PoShYbRiD” on Twitch, mysteriously disappeared in the middle of his most recent 24-hour charity stream on Sunday. Vigneault took a quick break from his live stream for a smoke break, not uncommon for some streamers during extended streaming sessions, but he never returned. He was found passed out and unresponsive by Virginia Beach police about an hour later and pronounced dead on the scene.

The death is currently under investigation by Virginia Beach Police for homicide, but there is currently no reason to suspect foul play was involved. As it stands right now, the death of Vigneault raises concerns about sleep deprivation, as it has been reported he had been logging extremely long hours streaming on his channel. Kotaku notes Vigneault would spend up to 20 hours a day on his channel multiple days a week. Although raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, one cannot help but wonder what the impact the lack of sleep took on his body and well being. Vigneault had used his Twitch channel to raise at least $10,000 in donations.

Vigneault was known for streaming his play of the game World of Tanks. The publisher of the game released a statement showing appreciation for his devotion to the game and how he used it for his charitable efforts.

“Wargaming is saddened to hear of the loss of streamer and tanker Brian Vigneault, aka ‘PoShYbRiD, a devoted player of World of Tanks and contributor to the Make-A-Wish foundation,” the statement said. “We offer our most sincere condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

Vigneault’s Twitch channel is still online and fans of his and more have used it to offer their condolences in the chat window. Vigneault’s family has decided not to share the cause of death to the public. The community following Vigneault’s Twitch channel have organized a GoFundMe account to donate to his family to support his three children.

[Polygon/Photo: Brian Vigneault Facebook page]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.