Why Asmongold Believes Twitch Should Ban Criminals and Maintain a Safe Streaming Environment
Asmongold advocates for a more lenient approach by Twitch towards its creators, suggesting that the recent scandal in the World of Warcraft realm has prompted him to speak out against certain bans and their justifications
Highlights
Twitch's ban system lacks consistency, causing content creators to feel confused and possibly subject to unjust penalties.Certain bans on Twitch appear to be excessively severe in relation to the wrongdoing, prompting concerns regarding the platform's responsibility.
Asmongold contends that Twitch should not ban individuals for engaging in trolling or griefing during gameplay, unless their actions violate the law.
As a popular figure on Twitch and co-owner of the One True King network, Asmongold gained recognition for his entertaining commentary and World of Warcraft gameplay before transitioning to a wider variety of content. Boasting a substantial following of 3.5 million Twitch followers, he has undeniably established a significant presence in the online gaming community.
A recent controversy originating from World of Warcraft and later progressing to Twitch prompted Asmongold to express his thoughts on the matter during a livestream on July 23rd. This is not the first time the streamer has voiced his opinions on drama, and it is unlikely to be the last. While the recent issue did not escalate into a major debacle, Asmongold's viewpoint raised several important questions about the streaming platform owned by Amazon.
Twitch Could Be More Forgiving to Its Creators
Twitch bans have been prevalent in 2023, with diverse reasons given for each punishment. The multitude of guidelines set by Twitch often results in ambiguous situations, leaving content creators uncertain about which actions may lead to blame. While there are clear-cut rules that most streamers strive to follow, Twitch occasionally imposes bans without providing a concrete explanation.
Furthermore, Twitch bans can be issued without providing any explanation. This was evident in the case of Pewdiepie's Twitch channel, which was banned twice before being reinstated. In certain situations, Twitch may justify a ban, but it may not always seem like an appropriate response to de-platform a content creator. Generally, Twitch reinstates accounts based on the severity of the offense, especially for those who abide by the terms of service. Nonetheless, losing access to one's channel can have a significant impact on individuals who rely on streaming as their main source of income.
Recently, Asmongold took notice of alleged griefing behavior by a player named TinyViolin69 in a Hardcore realm of World of Warcraft. The World of Warcraft community has been actively discussing this incident as TinyViolin69 was a known griefer who was allowed to be part of a guild. Over the span of a year, he played alongside other guild members, gaining their trust and participating in raids. During an encounter with the Four Horsemen, his actions resulted in approximately 38 people losing their characters permanently, leading to some labeling it as griefing.
Contrarily, others, including Asmongold, defended the actions of TinyViolin69 by arguing that since it was Judgement Day in World of Warcraft, he wasn't actually disrupting the guild. Even if it could be considered trolling, Asmongold believes that individuals should not face bans unless they violate the law. He emphasized this point by suggesting that Blizzard could have handled the situation similarly to how they dealt with Tyler1, and he expressed his opinion that Twitch should not take action for in-game incidents.
Based on Asmongold's perspective, it seems that trolling in video games should not impact a Twitch channel's status. "It's not a significant issue in either direction," he commented in response to a viewer's statement: "Imagine getting banned for griefing in a game. Clown world." It appears that Asmongold only considers bans justified if they are a result of criminal activity. Anything less is not truly significant in his eyes.
Although Asmongold has supporters, there are also dissenters. The opposing view argues that adherence to all of Twitch's guidelines is crucial for ongoing streaming on the platform. It should be noted that engaging in griefing in a video game is currently against Twitch's regulations. Regardless of individual opinions, these subjects hold significance when considering the streaming platform's treatment of its content creators in the future.
