The Twitch "ban hammer" has come down on streamers accused of various forms of sexual misconduct, all while members of their own staff are under fire for similar misdeeds. In recent weeks, a seemingly endless slew of allegations have rocked the video games industry from all sides. From developers and executives to journalists and streamers, no corner of the industry has escaped unaffected. Many of today's victims are less silent than those of past generations, and they feel more empowered to name their abusers and drag their dark deeds into the light, no matter the personal risk.
Through social media, many of these stories of abuse and sexual misconduct have become public knowledge. As a result, powerful people across various corners of gaming have been fired, placed on indefinite leave, resigned in disgrace, or otherwise been "cancelled." The culture of video games is rising up and declaring that it no longer wishes to associate with those who would use their positions of power to abuse the vulnerable.
One particular corner of the internet that has been prominently impacted by the recent sea change is Twitch streaming. A new Reddit post chronicles the various allegations involving the Twitch streamers who preyed on members of their community and the Twitch employees who did nothing to protect the victims and even engaged in their own patterns of abuse. After public outcry and a righteous demand for justice, the "ban hammer" is finally coming down, and several high-profile streamers have been banned from Twitch. So far, streamers BlessRNG, DreadedCone, iAmSp00n, WarwitchTV, and Wolv21 have been banned from the platform. Popular personality Dr Disrespect has also been banned, though, as of this writing, the circumstances of his Twitch departure remain inexplicably shrouded in mystery.
The banned Twitch streamers have all reacted differently to their banishment. BlessRNG's pinned tweet links to a four-page document acknowledging, apologizing, and explaining himself, and iAmSpoon has followed likewise. Wolv21's Twitter indicates he awkwardly tried to return to business as usual following a brief apology before deciding to "take a break" on June 23. DreadedCone has not acknowledged his situation on Twitter, and has not posted anything since June 20. Finally, the WarwitchTV Twitter account has been deleted.
The entire Reddit post, and the many other posts to which it links, is well worth reading to catch up to speed on developments within the Twitch community. As tragic and horrific as some of these accusations are, it's heartening to see victims empowered to speak their truth and call out their abusers, no matter their social media following and influence. Many of these stories are still developing, and the current wave of shocking upheaval in the Twitch ecosystem isn't over yet; not by a long shot, especially as Twitch only now begins to acknowledge its own house of wolves.
Source: Reddit