Tragic Details About Mizkif

Matthew "Mizkif" Rinaudo, Twitch streamer and co-founder of the One True King gaming organization, began streaming back in 2016. In an interview with Daily Esports' Nate Searl, Mizkif stated that he was motivated in large part by the revenue potential, adding that he pivoted toward it after gaining experience as a cameraman and realizing that people thought he was funny. 

However, while streaming has proven to be fruitful for him — he has over 1.6 million followers on Twitch alone — it hasn't been an entirely easy road. Describing streaming as a big investment, Mizkif told Searl, "I don't ever stop thinking about it. It's all I've ever thought about. Because of that, I think that's why I made it. You can't stop — you always have to keep moving. It does require a bit of luck, but it requires that you keep going every single day working hard."

And like many successful streamers before him, including the Dr Disrespect, TimTheTatman, and PewDiePie, Mizkif has faced his fair share of hardships and tragedies. Here are some of the most difficult points from Mizkif's streaming career.

Despite Mizkif's generally outgoing and excited demeanor on stream, he has previously dealt with issues of depression. In a now-deleted stream from January 2020 (via Dexerto), Mizkif opened up to his viewers about the fact that his struggles with depression nearly led him to stop streaming altogether. 

Mizkif explained that his trip to a mental hospital in July 2019, which he had tweeted about at the time, ended up playing a big role in his road to battling his depression and anxiety. Posting a picture of himself in a hospital gown, Mizkif explained that he'd had a panic attack and that his heart rate had skyrocketed to over 150 beats per minute. He also mentioned in that tweet that he had been checked into the hospital for a few days before being able to provide updates to fans.

To make matters worse, Mizkif explained on stream that he had been masking his symptoms when streaming, and would often appear much more upbeat than he actually felt. Per Dexerto, the reason for his extended stay at the aforementioned mental hospital was due mostly due to him saying he was "going to die" at the hospital.

"I said something along the lines of, 'This sucks, I feel like I'm gonna die," said Mizkif (via Dexerto). "Once you say that, anything about death like that, you are liable." Although Mizkif ended up staying a bit longer than he expected, it seems like the experience was a bit of a wake-up call for him. After getting medical treatment, he managed to turn things around with the help of a dedicated support group.

In addition to his battle with depression, Mizkif has also had to seek treatment for a risky heart condition called viral myocarditis. In the last few years, Mizkif has had to cancel streams and make multiple hospital visits due to heart palpitations and other heart-related issues, which he's openly discussed on Twitter.

Speaking out about it in a stream that has since been deleted (via Dexerto), Mizkif said in 2019 that the condition prohibited him from being able to move when he first became aware of the issue, which also left him with deep pains in his head and stomach. Confused as to what the issue might be at first, he went through a round of tests to diagnose the issue, which later turned out to be the aforementioned viral myocarditis — essentially an inflammation of the heart.

Mizkif explained that the issue likely won't ever go away entirely. "I have a virus in my heart," he stated. "It's dormant right now, but it can come out at any time. It's not likely to ever come out, but it can." This indicates that he may have lasting effects from the virus, which certainly is a cause for concern for the streamer. Even so, the streamer has continued to be open with his fans regarding his health journey.