German streamer Adam Wolke dies of brain haemorrhage, friends announce on Instagram

Announcement and confirmation

Jens Knossalla, known as Knossi, and Verena Ullrich announced the death of Adam Wolke on Instagram on Tuesday, 20 October, in a joint post. Wolke was active mainly on Twitch under the name SkylineTV, and N-tv reports that he had been streaming since 2013. Wolke's management confirmed the death to Bild, while Spiegel reports that the management gave no age when asked. The post opened with a statement of deep mourning from the two friends. Neither post gave an exact date of death.

In deep mourning, we have to tell you that our Adam has unfortunately passed away.

According to Focus, the friends also asked that the privacy of Wolke's family, relatives and close friends be respected.

Cause of death and age

The friends wrote that Wolke had suffered a severe brain haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm. N-tv notes that this kind of bleed typically occurs suddenly and without warning. In the same post, the two said they had been with him until the end and had accompanied him on his final journey.

We were by his side until the end and accompanied him on his final journey.

They wrote that they remained deeply shaken and could hardly put into words what had happened. Reports disagree on his age: Spiegel, citing Bild, put it at 38, while N-tv, Focus, DIE WELT and Blick gave 36. Reports also say that Wolke lived in Frankfurt am Main, and his website states that he grew up in Schleswig-Holstein. Whether he was married or had children is not known.

A pioneer of IRL streaming

Wolke was regarded as one of the early pioneers of IRL streaming, meaning live broadcasts made outside a studio. He streamed from travel, festivals and events, and viewers could comment through the chat and influence what happened in front of the camera. One stunt showed him lying on a pedestrian-zone pavement wrapped in paper strips while he asked passers-by to lift him up. In another, he drove an electric car that his viewers could remote-control. His destinations included Gamescom, Wacken Open Air, Finland, Jordan and the United States, and a further US trip had been planned for the winter. In September he streamed live from Pfronten in the Ostallgäu district and from Gamescom.

Collaborations and tributes

Wolke worked on productions for streamers including MontanaBlack, Trymacs and Knossi. N-tv and Blick report that he won the Knossi edition of Promi Big Brother in 2024. Spiegel reports that dozens of internet personalities, including Rewi, Flying Uwe, Tomatolix, Aaron Troschke and Katja Krasavice, posted condolences on Instagram. Fans wrote on his website and asked for a 24/7 channel so they could keep watching his streams. Blick also reports that Swiss content creator Aditotoro, aged 27, paid tribute, having known Wolke from joint projects.