Former Overwatch professional turned popular content creator, Brandon ‘Seagull’ Larned has announced he’ll be stepping away from streaming on Twitch due to “burnout and depression.”
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Following two full years of focusing his efforts on content creation after an illustrious pro career, Seagull has announced he’ll be away from the spotlight for quite some time.
“I’ve been struggling with burnout/depression,” the 28-year-old explained in a January 25 tweet. “Don’t expect to see me on for quite a while.”
However, he did give some hope for an eventual return to the internet. “Don’t forget I exist,” he added. “I’ll see you guys next time.”
I've been struggling with burnout/depression, don't expect to see me on for quite a while.
Don't forget I exist though, and I'll see you guys next time.
— Brandon Larned (@A_Seagull) January 25, 2021
This news comes on the back of a brief hiatus from the popular content creator. Seagull hadn’t streamed on Twitch in 10 days, his last YouTube upload came in October 2020, and he had tweeted just once in 2021 prior to the announcement.
Seagull became a full-time content creator shortly after his departure from the Dallas Fuel in August 2018. He was an avid competitor from the very beginning, playing Overwatch at the highest levels from 2015. Seagull recorded a number of historic wins throughout his career, including his 2017 NA Contenders championship with Team Envy.
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Having retired from competitive play, he turned his efforts towards streaming and soon grew his channel to over one million followers on Twitch. Many in the Overwatch community looked to his voice during challenging times as he never shied away from voicing his opinion.
Given his impact on the Overwatch community along with the broader gaming industry, countless fellow streamers and pro players replied to wish him well.
“Hope you feel better as soon as you can my friend,” former OWL pro Lane ‘Surefour’ Roberts said. “Wishing you well dude, props for recognizing to step away for a bit and recoup,” Seán ‘JackSepticEye’ McLoughlin added.
Hope you feel better as soon as you can my friend
— Lane (@Surefour) January 25, 2021
Wishing you well dude, props for recognising to step away for a bit and recoup.
— Jacksepticeye (@Jack_Septic_Eye) January 26, 2021
There’s no telling when Seagull might make a return, though obviously, no one wants to see him rush back before he’s ready.
Former Apex Legends pro turned content creator Coby ‘dizzy’ Meadows recently went through a similar situation. The popular personality returned on January 19 after seven months away from the internet to recover from burnout.