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  • "I am stepping away from content creation and OFFBRAND" - Atrioc releases a statement following the streamer deepfake controversy
Atrioc issued a TwitLonger statement on February 1, 2023 (Image via Atrioc/Twitch)

"I am stepping away from content creation and OFFBRAND" - Atrioc releases a statement following the streamer deepfake controversy

Following the recent streamer deepfake controversy, Twitch streamer Brandon "Atrioc" took to Twitter on February 1, 2023, to issue an official statement. In a TwitLonger post titled "Apology," Brandon stated that the "scar" of the debacle "felt deeply" on his heart. He then apologized to Twitch personalities Maya Higa and Imane "Pokimane" for "s*xualizing them against their will."

Atrioc mentioned that he had spoken to Blaire "QTCinderella," who described the situation as a "wildfire." He added that his goal was to take "concrete action" against this wildfire.

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The former Twitch executive then announced that he would be stepping away from content creation and his role as co-founder of OFFBRAND. An excerpt from his statement read:

"To ensure this issue has my full focus, I am stepping away from content creation and OFFBRAND."
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Atrioc apologizes to Maya Higa, Pokimane, and the community amidst the streamer deepfake controversy

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The 385-word-long TwitLonger update began with Atrioc saying that his statement on the recent controversy was "long overdue:"

"This statement is long overdue. My actions have taken me from someone I was proud of, trying to make a positive impact in my community, to a "deepfake p*rn guy." The scar of that is felt deeply on my heart."

The streamer apologized to Maya and Pokimane, saying:

"First and foremost, I want to specifically apologize to Maya and Pokimane. You were both in the screenshot that spread around the internet. Your names were dragged into it and you were s*xualized against your will. You have both succeeded in this industry in spite of all the blatant unfounded s*xist attempts to hurt or assassinate your character in a male dominated space."
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He apologized for not reaching out sooner, adding that his actions led to "further exploitation:"

"And now I'm another guy on that long list. I'm sorry I didn't reach out sooner, I'm sorry my actions have lead to further exploitation of you and your body, and I'm sorry your experience is not uncommon."

Atrioc provided insights into the conversation that he had with QTCinderella and elaborated:

"QT described it to me as a "wildfire" and I believe that is correct. My goal now is concrete action to fight that wildfire and do everything I can do to combat the damage."

In the next section, Brandon revealed that efforts made by QTCinderella and a law firm were successful in taking down the streamer deepfakes website. He went on to say that he was working on ways to cover the financial costs of this takedown as well as the legal fees "for all women affected:"

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"Through the efforts of QT and Ryan Morrison's law firm the website in question has already been taken down. I have spoken with Morrison and am working to cover the financial cost of the takedown as well as all legal fees for all women affected to use his services for removing their unwanted content from the web. Additionally, I am engaging more law firms to continue to remove this content from other areas of the internet, such as Reddit."

Atrioc then concluded his address, stating that this would be the "last time for a while" that the community would hear from him:

"This will be the last time you hear from me for a while. I'd rather you see my actions. I will try my absolute hardest to combat the damage I caused."
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The streaming community reacts to Atrioc's statement

Atrioc's update gained significant online traction almost immediately, with over 170 community members on Twitter responding within an hour. Here's what they had to say:

@Atrioc Not commenting on, condoning, nor supporting any actions of the incident whatsoever, but my thoughts with you and your efforts on this fight to make things right my dude. I believe in your goodness
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@Atrioc I hope you and your wife can get over this awful tragedy
@Atrioc Leaving offbrand so soon after its conception is wild
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@Atrioc Intiail apology - driven by emotion and erratic, causing harm to the women involved

Second apology - thought out throughly, action already being taken and continued to be taken, private apologies sent + a public one

You have my respect for handling this well the second time
@Atrioc I hope your talks with those you've affected have been beneficial for everyone involved. I hope from this awful wildfire you ignited, some good can come from it. Like making sure women in the streaming space are safer from stuff like this and/or have the resources to fight it.
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The 31-year-old personality's TwitLonger post was a trending topic of discussion on the r/LivestreamFail subreddit, with some relevant fan reactions given below:

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Atrioc is a major personality within the streaming community, best known for his Just Chatting broadcasts and HITMAN 3 gameplay. He previously worked at graphic cards giant Nvidia as the Manager of Global Consumer Marketing.

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Edited by
Atul S
 
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