Watch CBS News

YouTube star John "TotalBiscuit" Bain is dead at 33

YouTube star and video game critic John Bain, best known as TotalBiscuit and also known as the Cynical Brit, died on Thursday at 33. Bain had bowel cancer that eventually spread to his liver. 

Bain had 2.2 million YouTube subscribers and gained popularity in 2010 by uploading footage of his gameplay to his channel in addition to reviews of the games. He retired from posting in April after his cancer spread. 

Last month on Reddit, Bain talked about his decision to retire. He said he did not "have long left" and his cancer was terminal. He wrote, "I can't do the job anymore. I'm under the influence of too much medication to think clearly and my schedule too unreliable to get coverage out in a timely manner." He also said of his illness, "There is literally nothing I can do about it other than try to manage the pain as best as possible and stay as hydrated as possible to ease the pressure on the liver. "

A tweet on Thursday confirmed his death. 

Bain's wife Genna Bain posted a poem in tribute to her late husband. She said she was "overwhelmed with grief." She responded to the Twitter account for the game Fortnite that Bain was still talking about games in his sleep, tweeting, "During the hepatic coma he was slipping into several hours before passing, TB was still reviewing and talking about @FortniteGame in his sleep."

Bain was known for his love of indie video games versus the most popular ones. Twitch, which lets users stream gaming sessions, said in a tweeted statement about Bain, "John Bain's opinionated game critiques and sense of humor led to him becoming one of the most prominent voices in the gaming industry. The emote bearing his face represents the indelible mark that he has left on Twitch."

The BBC reports Bain was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2014, but the disease went into remission before returning and spreading to his liver and spine. 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.