Twitch has had a long and complicated history of bans, TOS violations, and double standards when it comes to its creators. Even the most popular among them aren’t immune to completely unexpected bans at seemingly random times. It can be very upsetting, and a little disorienting, for creators who are often making a living on the platform.
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It can also be frustrating for their fans who seek answers yet typically find themselves left wanting, often due to Twitch’s lack of transparency with their users. A lot ofpopular Twitch streamersget banned for ridiculous reasons, with these unfair Twitch bans often leaving both streamers and their viewers scratching their heads.
1Dr. DisRespect
Probably one of the most iconic cases of a Twitch ban that came out of nowhere, Dr. DisRespect wasn’t just one of the most popular creators on Twitch, he actually seemed to have a very good and very fruitful relationship with the platform. That was until he was banned, and his massive audience was left wondering why. When they turned to the creator for answers, he couldn’t give them any, as he too had apparently been left in the dark by Twitch. Nothing about his content had changed, but there were rumors floating around that he’d been in discussions with another streaming platform regarding a potential contract, which would have violated his current contract with Twitch.
Eventually, Dr. DisRespect shared with his audience that he was pursuing legal action for what he, and many others, believed to be a completely unfair move from Twitch. The legal battle, however, ended up going nowhere as neither side was seen to have been at fault for any wrongdoing. To this day,Dr. DisRespect is still banned on Twitchand has since migrated to streaming and uploading exclusively on YouTube.
2Wismichu
This popular Spanish Twitch streamer received a third ban on his Twitch account in early 2022. Twitch issued no statement regarding this decision, leaving fans completely confused and confounded as to why a beloved creator had been struck down. Nothing about his content in the days prior seemed to go against TOS, creating even more confusion among his devoted fanbase.
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He was unbanned 24 hours later and continued to stream as usual. He later revealed to his audience that he had apparently shown a very brief glimpse of an NSFW image while browsing Reddit on stream. Unfortunately, Wismichu wouldn’t be the only one to suffer a similar fate at the hands of Twitch.
3Gabepeixe
While the reason for this creator’s ban wasn’t unknown, it’s still an example of the incredibly confusing way that Twitch implements its policies. Spanish streamer Gabepeixe was having a relatively normal stream with his community, with nothing out of the ordinary. As they watched another Twitch user’s content together, none knew the ramifications of a seemingly simple action. After the stream, Gabepeixe would receive a three-day ban.
He was told that the reason for his ban was that the VOD they had been watching contained a Pink Floyd album cover that exhibited nude women with body paint. The thing is, the image never popped up in the stream and the original creator was never flagged, despite being on the exact same platform as Gabepeixe. Twitch stood by their decision and the creator had to wait out their three-day ban before being able to stream again.
4Dellor
In 2019, thisproOverwatchplayerand popular streamer was banned for seemingly no reason after a rage-inducing match ofApex Legends. Dellor had a habit of buying cheap keyboards and breaking them while angry; usually after losing a match, like he had during that stream. As was usual for the creator, he smashed his keyboard over his head in a fit of rage and suffered a ban as a consequence.
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The unknown part of this ban is why it was this specific incident that led to a ban. Twitch claimed that it fell under the ‘Self-Harm’ section of their TOS, but then why was it allowed at other times and not this one? This was part of the reason why Dellor ended up seeking reinstatement of his account, publicly pressuring Twitch and calling out their unfair policies untilthe account was finally reinstated a whole year later.
5Quqco
This popular artist and cosplayer was streaming one daydressed as Chun-Li from theStreet Fighterfranchise. While having received punitive action in the past for an accidental underwear flash, this stream received similar backlash from Twitch, despite not containing any such accidents. They banned her for “engaging in sexually suggestive content” although the only unclothed part of her was her legs which were barely visible for most of the stream.
This action coming from the same platform that allows creators to appear in bikinis for hot tub streams seemed incredibly frustrating and confusing, especially for an artist who just wanted to show off a cosplay. She expressed her disdain for Twitch’s actions on her Twitter, expressing that her content isn’t of a sexual nature at all. With such a seemingly harmless cosplay, it’s difficult to understand why Twitch found it necessary topunish the creator with a ban.
