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Tag: Video game livestreaming

  • Twitch Bans Several Arab Streamers Following ‘Habibi’ Ratings Panel At TwitchCon

    Twitch Bans Several Arab Streamers Following ‘Habibi’ Ratings Panel At TwitchCon

    Streaming platform Twitch has banned several high-profile Arab streamers for a panel that took place at TwitchCon last month. The banned streamers include CapriSunnPapi, Fr0gan, Raffoulticket, DenimsTV, and Vio (who is not Arab), all of whom took part in a live-streamed panel during day two of TwitchCon San Diego called “Rating Streamers,” where they placed popular Twitch personalities on a tier list of who could or couldn’t say “habibi,” the Arab word for “friend” or “beloved.”

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    The 30-day bans were handed out seemingly simultaneously and came after days of social media dialogue accusing several Arab and pro-Palestinian Twitch streamers of being antisemitic. A clip of Fr0gan saying that she “hoped” American soldiers got PTSD during a livestream was shared across X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit and commented on by YouTuber Ethan Klein and Steven Kenneth Bonnell II, aka Destiny.

    On October 20, Fr0gan issued an apology on X, writing:

    the us military has conducted some of the most horrific crimes against humanity in the modern era in countries such as iraq, afghanistan, syria, lebanon, and palestine my anger is directed at individuals who are currently championing these war crimes as if they “liberated” my people. it’s horrific and disgusting. the beginning of the clip was worded poorly and i do apologize for that. i go onto clarify in the clip that i do not mean “all” military, but specifically those with no remorse. what i said was out of frustration as they are currently bombing my family in the name of “liberation”. i realize that wishing people harm isn’t the best way to talk about these issues and that i could have talked about these topics in a more sensitive way.

    However, it appears Fr0gan was not banned for what she said on her more recent stream but instead for the Rating Streamers panel from September 21. During the panel in question, the streamers utilized a popular internet meme called a tier list, in which the top of the tier is the “best” or, in this case, the person for whom using “habibi” is most acceptable and the bottom was the least acceptable. At the TwitchCon panel, the tiers were labeled “Arab Coded, Asks Permission, Thinks It’s a Slur, and Loves Sabra,” a reference to Sabra Hummus, a popular brand of hummus manufactured in the United States. The VOD for the entire second day of TwitchCon (which was when Rating Streamers aired) has been removed from the GivePlz Twitch channel, which hosts all of the TwitchCon videos. The video is still available on the Ayyrabs YouTube page.

    Fr0gan, Capri, and Raffoul are all Arab (Fr0gan is Muslim, Raffoul is Jewish, and Capri is Christian) and host a podcast called Ayyrabs together. DenimsTV is an Arab woman and Vio is Middle Eastern. Two other streamers who briefly took part in the panel were not Arab or Middle Eastern. They were not banned at the time of publication.

    On October 19, Klein posted a video to YouTube titled “Twitch Has a Major Problem” in which he said that panel was “kinda Arab good, Jew bad,” because Sabra is a “very popular Hummus brand” in Israel that is “the subject of [a] pro-Palestine boycott.” He also shared a clip from the panel in which Denims jokingly says that Klein deserved his own category for “Zionist.” Then, on a live-stream on YouTube today, October 20, Klein discussed Fr0gan, the “Tier List,” Twitch CEO Dan Clancy, and Hasan “Hasanabi” Piker, another noted political streamer who used to host a show with Klein before the two had a falling out. The livestream was titled “Dan Clancy Must Resign As Twitch CEO.”

    The ban wave (which also appeared to include a permanent ban of popular streamer Sneako, who Klein mentioned in his October 19 YouTube video as an example of someone who should not have been allowed to return to Twitch) occurred while Klein was streaming. “30 day ban for saying people like bottom of the barrel hummus but other people get 2 WEEKS for advocating for the genocide of palestinians. got it,” Fr0gan posted on X after the bans were announced, referring to Twitch banning streamer Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt for 14 days after he said that Muslim people come from “an inferior culture” and that he’s “not going to cry a fucking river when people who have genocide that’s baked into their laws are getting genocided” on a recent stream.

    Capri also reacted to his ban, writing, “Ngl I’m gonna take a few days off and I’m going back live and ranking hummus just to prove a point. #hummusgate” on X.

    Before the ban but during the heat of the online dialogue about the alleged antisemitism of the panel, Raffoul, who is Jewish, wrote on X, “These fucks are so anti semitic I’m the one who made the list on ‘who can say habibi’ and they try and spin this as ‘Frogan ranking people from Arab to Jew’ keep Jews out your fucking mouth.”

    On October 21, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) shared on X that it had spoken with Twitch staff “after becoming aware of several concerning incidents on the social media platform and/or involving Twitch streamers in the past week.”

    “We appreciate @Twitch making the right decision to finally suspend the streamer Frogan for abusing her platform and the @TwitchCon event to spread antisemitic vitriol during this time of intense apprehension for the Jewish community,” the official ADL account posted in a thread. “@Twitch must learn from this situation and improve how they address antisemitism and hate on their platform, which is an ongoing and significant challenge.”

    It is unclear why Twitch chose to issue a ban for a panel that took place a month ago, the contents of which the company was aware of, Kotaku has confirmed. During TwitchCon 2024, the company emphasized that the platform was “no place for hateful conduct” after announcing new changes and advancements to its ban policies.

    Kotaku reached out to the ADL and Twitch for comment and will update this story accordingly.

    Update: 10/21/2024 at 11:20 p.m. ET: Updated story with more context regarding Sneako ban.

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    Alyssa Mercante

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  • No, You Shouldn’t Livestream Hurricane Milton For Clout

    No, You Shouldn’t Livestream Hurricane Milton For Clout

    Hurricane Milton, one of the biggest storms in recorded history, is set to make landfall in Florida on October 9. It will likely cause tens of billions of dollars of damage and could kill or injure many people who are unable to evacuate Tampa Bay and the surrounding region in time.

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    And yet, some influencers, TikTok content creators, and streamers are claiming that they will stick around and livestream through the historic storm. It’s a horrible idea and yet another example of how some creators are willing to do anything just to get more views, clicks, and subscribers.

    On Tuesday, Forbes reported on numerous influencers who suggested in videos posted online that they would be sticking around even as Hurricane Milton makes its way closer and closer to Florida.

    Influencer and writer Caroline Calloway posted on Twitter that even though her house is located in the evacuation zone and is on the beach, she won’t be leaving. Instead, she tweeted about how she’s not leaving and included an ad for her upcoming advice book. “I have champagne and four generations of Floridians in my veins. It’ll be fine,” tweeted Calloway.

    Another TikTok creator, kricketfelt, has been posting videos about how her home is made out of concrete and she and her husband are going to stay and not evacuate. She’s continued to upload videos, making light of the situation, as the storm gets closer.

    Meanwhile, a clip of controversial Kick Streamer Adin Ross supposedly offering people $30,000 to stick around and livestream through the hurricane went viral after being shared on Twitter and TikTok. However, during the full seven-hour livestream, it’s clear Ross isn’t offering this money to anyone and in fact, was just joking around with a friend. During that same stream, he also told viewers to evacuate Tampa Bay and suggested the hurricane was being used to “distract” people from the upcoming election. So a mixed bag.

    Kotaku has reached out to Adin Ross for comment about his stream and statements.

    Even though the offer wasn’t real, that didn’t stop some streamers from claiming that they were streaming live from Florida in the path of the hurricane. One Kick streamer, MikeSmallsJr, claimed to be streaming from Florida with nothing but an air mattress and some snacks. During one moment of his stream, he admitted that Ross’ offer wasn’t real and was taken out of context, but suggested the streamer still should pay him something for what he was doing.

    “At the end of the day, I was the first Kick streamer to do this shit during Hurricane Helene. I’m out here busting my ass to entertain the people,” said MikeSmallsJr. Later he reportedly heard he wasn’t getting anything and wasn’t happy. 

    Another streamer, JamesWorley, claimed to be streaming during the storm and, when asked what he would do when or if he lost cell service, said: “I guess the stream will end.” A few moments later, his stream cut off. It returned a minute later.

    Kotaku wasn’t able to verify their locations, but some did at least seem to be in Florida and were streaming during large amounts of rain. The storm isn’t set to make landfall until 8 p.m. EST, though thunderstorms and tornadoes are already covering much of the Sunshine State.

    The reality is that even though Adin Ross didn’t actually offer large sums of money to encourage people to stream through the storm, the comments sadly might have inspired some people to stick around even as a deadly, incredibly powerful hurricane is about to hit where they live.

    For some content creators, a massive hurricane is just an opportunity to risk their lives, troll their viewers, or create “edgy” content while possibly earning more views and subscribers. All of this in an effort to conquer the algorithm and rise above the thousands and thousands of other creators out there, all trying to desperately make money on social media and streaming platforms that, more and more, feel like sinking ships and not the future of entertainment.

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Pokimane Leaves Twitch After A Decade With The Streaming Platform [Updated]

    Pokimane Leaves Twitch After A Decade With The Streaming Platform [Updated]


    Updated, 01/31/24, 2:00 p.m. ET: After announcing her departure from Twitch, Imane “Pokimane” Anys posted on X/Twitter that her first-ever YouTube broadcast will occur on February 1 at 12 p.m. PT.

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    It’s a streamer showdown between some of Twitch and YouTube’s most popular creators, including Ludwig and Pokimane (repping Team Red) and TinaKitten and Ryan Higa (repping Team Purple). The five-on-five brawl will see the streamers playing Codenames, League of Legends, and Valorant, with each winner getting 100 gifted subscriptions.

    In addition to announcing the YouTube broadcast, as reported by Dexerto, Pokimane also released a new episode of her podcast in which she went into detail about her reasons for leaving Twitch. In it, she voices many issues with Twitch’s conduct in recent years, saying at one point, “I personally am done with Twitch’s messy behavior in the sense that I’m not done with Twitch, but I’m done with, like, being emotionally invested in the changes that this company is doing.”

    “Moving forward, I’m going to try streaming on other platforms,” she said, citing YouTube, Tiktok, and Instagram. “I just want to be able to partake in different platforms and things either as I see fit or as I find excitement in doing it.”

    The original story follows below.

    One of Twitch’s most popular ladies won’t be streaming exclusively on the platform where she first became a star anymore. Calling it “the end of an era,” Imane “Pokimane” Anys announced her departure from the Amazon-owned site in an X/Twitter post on January 30. Accompanying the tweet was an official promotional image of the Twitch app featuring her face, an indication of just how closely she’s been associated with the site in the past.

    Pokimane has been streaming since at least 2012. She officially created her Twitch channel in 2014 and in the decade since, she’s amassed some 9.3 million followers. Her personality is effervescent and she’s known for her great sense of humor. Her tenure on the platform has not been without controversy, of course; in November of 2023 she embarked on a cookie apology tour after calling one viewer who complained about the price of a snack she had launched a “broke boy.” Still, Pokimane has grown to become one of the faces of Twitch. Now, though, she’s saying her goodbyes and departing for greener pastures.

    “Twitch has been my home for a decade,” Pokémon said. “But it’s time to say thank you for all the memories and love during my League, Fortnite, & Among Us days.”

    The Amazon-owned company hopped into Pokimane’s mentions to congratulate her on the “incredible journey” she’s had these last 10 years, saying everyone’s proud of everything she’s accomplished while looking forward to seeing what she does next in her career. According to a Dexerto report, Pokimane explained that she’s not resigning a contract with Twitch because it’s “messy,” citing her desire to no longer be “emotionally invested in the changes” the company undergoes around things like artistic nudity. Basically, Pokimane just wants to have fun as a content creator, and as a result, she’s opting to take her talents everywhere instead of locking them to Twitch exclusively. You should expect to see her streaming on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube now.

    Kotaku has reached out to Pokimane for comment.

    We’ve had hints that this was coming for a little over a year now. Back in September 2022, Pokimane said that Twitch wasn’t “creatively fulfilling” any more, specifying that her intention was to stream less and use other platforms more. It seems she’s making good on this intention, as she hasn’t streamed on Twitch in about four days, but has been more active on other social channels.

     





    Levi Winslow

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  • Twitch Bans Implied Nakedness In Response To ‘Nudity Meta’

    Twitch Bans Implied Nakedness In Response To ‘Nudity Meta’

    As December 2023 was underway, some streamers cleverly thought to play around with Twitch’s restrictions around nudity, broadcasting in such a fashion that implied they were completely naked on camera. Twitch, in response, began banning folks before shifting gears to allow various forms of “artistic nudity” to proliferate on the platform. However, after immediately rescinding the decision and expressing that being naked while livestreaming is a no-no, the company is now making it clear that implied nudity is also forbidden, and that anyone who tries to circumvent the rules will face disciplinary action.

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    Read More: Twitch Allows ‘Artistic Nudity,’ Immediately Regrets It

    In a January 3 blog post, the company laid out the new guidelines regarding implied nudity on the platform, which is now prohibited effective immediately. Anyone who shows skin that the rules deem should be covered—think genitals, nipples “for those who present as women,” and the like—will face “an enforcement action,” though Twitch didn’t specify what that means. So, if you’re wearing sheer or partially see-through clothing, or use black bars to cover your private parts, then you’re more than likely to get hit with some sort of discipline.

    “We don’t permit streamers to be fully or partially nude, including exposing genitals or buttocks. Nor do we permit streamers to imply or suggest that they are fully or partially nude, including, but not limited to, covering breasts or genitals with objects or censor bars,” the company said in the blog post. “We do not permit the visible outline of genitals, even when covered. Broadcasting nude or partially nude minors is always prohibited, regardless of context. For those who present as women, we ask that you cover your nipples and do not expose underbust. Cleavage is unrestricted as long as these coverage requirements are met and it is clear that the streamer is wearing clothing. For all streamers, you must cover the area extending from your hips to the bottom of your pelvis and buttocks.”

    The company said that livestreamers must continue to appropriately categorize their broadcasts in response to this policy change. There is one exception, though. Content creators who classify their streams under the “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” category are allowed to wear things like bathing suits “as long as [the attire] completely covers the genitals,” the company outlined in its community guidelines. Still, streamers must follow the rules of not exposing themselves. Or else. As Twitch made it clear in the January 3 blog post, this adjustment to clothing rules on the platform comes hot on the heels of the nudity meta that dominated livestreams throughout December 2023.

    Wait, Nudity Was Twitch’s New Meta?

    At the beginning of December, some streamers, including Morgpie and LivStixs, began broadcasting in what appeared to be the complete nude. In actuality, these content creators were implying nudity by positioning their cameras at the right angle so as to show plenty of unobscured cleavage but keep nipples out of sight. “Artistic nudity” is what it was called and, as the meta took over the platform, Twitch conceded, allowing such nakedness to proliferate all over livestreams.

    Unfortunately, as things heated up and content creators took it to the extreme by going fully naked on camera—save for black censor bars or carefully placed objects blocking out their private parts—the platform said enough is enough and immediately rescinded the policy change. Now, in this new update, the company is explicitly banning implied nudity and preparing to discipline any streamer who falls out of line.

    Kotaku reached out to Twitch for comment.

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    Company CEO Dan Clancy said on December 15 that “depictions of real or fictional nudity won’t be allowed on Twitch, regardless of the medium.” He also apologized for the confusion this whole situation has caused, saying that part of Twitch’s job is “to make adjustments that serve the community.” So be careful, streamers. If you show up nude on the platform, Twitch will come for you.

    Levi Winslow

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  • Big Oil’s Using Fortnite, TikTok, And Twitch In Effort To Convince Kids Fossil Fuels Are Cool

    Big Oil’s Using Fortnite, TikTok, And Twitch In Effort To Convince Kids Fossil Fuels Are Cool

    Kids today only care about online free-to-play shooter Fortnite. They don’t even talk about how great gasoline is! Luckily for us, one large oil company wants to change that using Fortnite, TikTok stars, and Twitch streamers. Welcome to Hell.

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    Climate change is bad. I think we can all agree on that. But for kids, who have long lives and futures ahead of them, the prospect of the planet turning into a nightmare sphere of extreme weather and chaos is particularly scary. But don’t worry about all that, kids. Instead, Shell—a massive oil company and one of the many entities directly responsible for destroying our planet—wants you all to know just how rad its fossil fuel products are, and even made a whole Fortnite world for you to enjoy! But to truly enjoy it, you’ll need to use Shell’s V-Power® NiTRO+ Premium Gasoline, of course.

    As reported by Media Matters earlier this week, Shell has partnered with map creators to develop “Shell Ultimate Road Trips”, a Fortnite world featuring six different areas to explore in the car of your choice. In the middle of these worlds, players will find a lonely, sad-looking Shell gas station acting as the map’s hub.

    The campaign—part of Shell’s pivot back to focusing on gasoline over cleaner energy sources— is designed to promote the company’s “new and improved” premium gasoline. The idea is that in the map, players will need to occasionally fill up at the central Shell gas station and use its new V-Power NiTRO+ fuel to successfully navigate obstacles and courses.

    Content creators are being enlisted to create big oil propaganda

    To help promote this terrible collaboration, Shell has enlisted various TikTok creators and Twitch streamers in an effort to connect with their large audiences made up of mostly younger individuals.

    Media Matters reportedly identified at least a half dozen streamers—including folks like Punisher, NateHill, Chica, and brookeab—with a combined Twitch following of over 5.5 million subscribers—who helped promote Shell’s Fortnite map and fossil fuel products during sponsored streams that racked up over a million views. Some of these creators also promoted the sponsored streams on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to their millions of followers. Media Matters also identified three content creators who advertised the ShellxFortnite map in several videos posted on the gas company’s official YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram accounts.

    The creators directly promoting Shell’s gasoline propaganda have a combined audience of 8.5 million TikTok followers, 1.5 million Instagram followers, and over 11 million YouTube subscribers.

    In August, Shell even paid out for a sponsored post on IGN as well as a three-part series featuring IGN staff playing Fortnite and exploring the Shell-sponsored map. The videos are covered in Shell logos and featured on a fancy IGN-hosted website dedicated to the oil company’s Fortnite map.

    Kids aren’t buying this crap

    So how’s all this money and effort paying off? As far as I can tell, not great. For example, looking at that IGN article, it’s got only two comments and both are negative. On YouTube, the IGN videos have mostly received negative comments from viewers, with many calling out the outlet for sponsoring an oil company. Elsewhere, the official trailers put out by Shell for their Fortnite creation are similarly receiving negative comments.

    “Drop in this season and complete the objective: ‘Do irreparable damage to the environment with Shell!” is the top-rated comment on this trailer for the map.

    This is all part of an ongoing campaign by big oil companies, like Shell, to connect with younger people via online influencers and content creators. In 2021, Earther reported that Shell and Phillips 66 had started campaigns with Instagram influencers. These sponsored deals and ads aren’t just about promoting oil companies and their products. These large corporations know that as climate change gets worse, it’s getting harder to convince young people to keep buying gas-powered cars and supporting the fossil fuel industry.

    As Media Matters pointed out, in a 2021 survey of young people between the ages of 16-25, about 75% said the future is frightening because of climate change. It’s hard to sell gasoline and diesel to teens who know it’s destroying the planet and their futures. And it doesn’t look like some Instagram models and Fortnite videos on IGN promoting Shell are going to be enough to change their minds.

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Chaos: Twitch Star Kai Cenat Pulls Thousands Of Fans Into NYC Streets [Update: Cenat To Be Charged]

    Chaos: Twitch Star Kai Cenat Pulls Thousands Of Fans Into NYC Streets [Update: Cenat To Be Charged]

    Twitch star Kai Cenat, who recently became the most subscribed creator on the streaming platform, asked his fans and followers to show up for a real-life giveaway in New York City. And they did, with reportedly 2,000 people arriving, leading to chaos and arrests.

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    On August 4, Cenat held a giveaway event in Union Square in New York City. Beforehand, the popular streamer promised that he would be handing out $100 gift cards, PCs, and PlayStation 5 consoles. In a short stream from Cenat before going out into the massive crowd the Twitch streamer pointed out the huge amount of people gathered and commented that the NYPD was out in full force, claiming the cops had already used tear gas on some. Before departing for the meet, Cenat asked his fans to be “safe.”

    “It’s a lot of y’all out there right now,” said Cenat on stream. “Everybody whos out there make sure y’all safe.”

    Once he left his bus with his entourage and bodyguards, he was immediately swarmed by fans. His security team surrounded him and helped him press through.

    CBS

    CBS reports an estimated 2,000 people showed up. The news org also reports some were arrested after a few people began destroying barricades. At one point a CBS helicopter recorded someone using a fire extinguisher on a crowd of people. No injuries have been reported yet.

    Cenat reportedly didn’t have a permit for the event, which grew so large and out of control that NYPD called for a “Level 4 Mobilization” and nearly 1,000 police officers were sent to the area. Cenat was later seen in numerous videos being escorted away from the chaotic scene by several police officers.

    At one point a vehicle was seen driving away from the chaos but was mobbed by the crowd. CBS reports that it moved slowly through a large number of fans before it sped off with people hanging onto the car. CBS noted that at least three people were seen falling off the speeding vehicle as it escaped the area.

    Eyewitness News ABC7NY

    Cenat is a popular content creator who started out with a YouTube channel in 2012 before transitioning to Twitch in 2021. Primarily known for comedic videos, pranks, and his wild personality, he became a star on Twitch while playing games like GTA and NBA. The streamer also spends a lot of time in the “Just Chatting” section of Twitch, reacting to content and hanging out with rappers like Ice Spice. The streamer recently broke a historic milestone, reaching over 300k active subscribers on Twitch, beating out other big names like Ludwig and Ninja.

    Update 08/04/2023 6:19 p.m. ET: During a press conference held a few hours after the massive giveaway, NYPD confirmed that Cenat was being held in police custody after he was removed from the scene for “safety reasons.”

    NYPD chief of police Jeffrey Maddrey spoke to the gathered press for about 10 minutes, answering questions and giving an update. Maddrey said multiple officers and citizens were injured during the chaotic giveaway. He said that when the crowd grew too big and dangerous, the NYPD declared it an “unlawful assembly” and cleared the area of Cenat fans.

    Police are still deciding on possible charges to file against Cenat, though Maddrey suggested “inciting a riot” could be one possible crime levied against the streamer. According to the NYPD and city officials, the large event wasn’t pre-approved by the city’s government or police. Cenat is currently still in custody and being questioned.

    When asked how many people had been arrested, Maddrey was unable to provide a specific number but did claim that an entire city bus was filled with people in police custody.

    Kotaku has contacted Twitch about Cenat’s giveaway and the chaos that followed.

    Update 08/04/2023 9:09 p.m. ET: The NYC ABC and CBS affiliates report that Cenat will be charged with “at least two” counts of inciting a riot and unlawful assembly, and likely other offenses.

    Zack Zwiezen

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  • Twitch Bans Promotion Of Counter-Strike Gambling

    Twitch Bans Promotion Of Counter-Strike Gambling

    Streaming megasite Twitch has updated its community guidelines, and now prohibits streamers from promoting or being sponsored by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive skin gambling sites. This new ban could impact many CS:GO streamers who have lucrative deals with these controversial websites.

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    In CS:GO, trading and gambling of skins and other cosmetics has long been big business, with some rare, sought-after skins selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars online. This has led to many players spending money on CS:GO skin gambling sites, effectively turning the in-game cosmetics and Steam’s trading system into a slot machine they can pull over and over again for a fee, rewarding players with items that can (sometimes) be very valuable. These skin gambling sites—which some players condemn due to accusations they prey on minors—often pay or sponsor streamers to promote their sites, with some players even streaming themselves spinning for rare cosmetics on Twitch itself. But now, it seems that might be coming to an end.

    On August 2, Twitch quietly updated its community guidelines, adding a new section that directly prohibits Twitch users who feature or promote CS:GO skin gambling sites. Here’s the new guideline after today’s update:

    Is sponsorship of skins gambling, such as for CS:GO skins, allowed on Twitch?

    No, promotion or sponsorship of skins gambling is prohibited under our policy.

    This is bad news for streamers who have deals with any of these cosmetic gambling sites. One big-name example that might be impacted by this new ban is G2 Esports, a large-scale organization that employs numerous players and content creators.

    In May, the group announced a big partnership with CSGORoll, a site that calls itself a “CS:GO skins trading market” but also lets players win skins and other in-game items by placing bets and making rolls. It’s likely CSGORoll would be considered a skin gambling site by Twitch, which would—if the Amazon-owned service enforces this new rule—likely mean G2 Esports won’t be able to promote CSGORoll during its streams. Awkward, as the site’s logo is on G2 Esports’ jerseys, and its players appear on the CSGORoll homepage.

    Unanswered questions about Twitch’s new rule

    Beyond G2, many other streamers might be affected by the new ban, as pointed out in a popular video condemning skin gambling published in July 2023 by YouTuber HOUNGOUNGAGNE. In their video they report that an estimated 75 percent of the top 300 CS:GO Twitch streamers have skin-gambling sponsors. If this new guideline is enforced, all of these players would have to quickly cut ties with these sites and the lucrative sponsorship deals they offer or face a possible Twitch ban.

    Of course, there are still some questions. Does this new rule ban streamers from streaming themselves using CS:GO skin gambling and trading sites? The wording is a bit vague and only specifies promotions and sponsorship deals. Another question some have is if this new rule takes effect immediately, and what that means for folks who might have signed deals with sites and have certain obligations to uphold.

    Kotaku has reached out to Twitch for more information about the ban. But for now, between Valve cracking down on skin traders over the last few years and Twitch’s new rules, it seems the era of CS:GO streamers hawking skin-gambling sites to thousands of viewers is coming to an end.

    Zack Zwiezen

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