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Ludwig is the latest name to a long string of NFT-related controversies in the streamer community. In the latest incident, an artist collective called MetaDeckz came into the news as Ludwig strongly criticized their NFT project, where they made NFT trading cards featuring popular streamers.
Read on to find out what prompted Ludwig to give one of his most extreme reactions yet.
MetaDeckz-Ludwig NFT drama: All you need to know
The start of the entire incident dates back to when @slime_machine, Ludwig's co-host on "The Yard" podcast, retweeted MetaDeckz post about their NFT trading card for the streamer.
The embedded tweet shows @slime_machine's displeasure at the NFT as the streamer has taken a very public anti-NFT stance ever since the issue came to the fore.
After Ludwig's co-host announced that he did not appreciate what MetaDeckz was doing here, Derek Z, the artist behind the same, released the above video. Here, the artist can be seen responding to the @slime_machine's reaction to the NFT.
We just got retweeted by the slime machine relating to the NFT trading card for Ludwig and they didn't seem to like that too much, which is okay.
The MetaDeckz founder then tried to explain why he started this project in the first place. He said:
I love gaming and I love streaming and I've been an artist my whole life and I thought I could do some really cool trading cards for the streamers, do something cool for the community.
He continued to provide his stand on NFTs as an artist.
Regarding NFTs it's just a new platform to get some new eyes on your art. I took a risk, I definitely knew it was a risk and it seems like the streamers might not like that, which is totaly fine.
He also claimed at the end of the video that he tried to get the streamers featured in his products to approve their designs. He said:
I emailed each of them about MetaDeckz, and never got a response. So I just continued with the project because I love the product so much. I just think it looks super cool, creating all the characters for the streamers was tottally fun and if we dont sell any of them it's totally fine i just wanted to do something with my art in streaming and gaming.
About 45 minutes after the video went live from the official MetaDeckz handle, Ludwig himself responded to the tweet to set the record straight about some of the claims the former had made.
After seeing Ludwig's strong reaction to the project, the artist has now declared that he will be shutting down the NFT side of things for all the streamer artworks.
About an hour after putting out this tweet, the MetaDeckz founder released another video where he talked about further details on the disbandment of the entire NFT project.
He clarifies that disbanding the entire project means that the trading cards will still be put out but not as NFTs. He stated:
Seeing Ludwig's perspective we decided to disband the entire project. Even been putting in thousands of hours into this, it's okay, I love the product we just won't sell them as NFT's. I'll just keep drawing content creators as trading cards and we just won't even sell them, I just love the product that much and I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing.
He talked about taking a break from tattooing, which is Derek's main occupation, to pursue the project, before trying to explain why he got into the NFT side of things despite knowing the community's attitude towards them.
Looking at Ludwig's perspective and all the streamers I can see them and the community not liking NFTs and I was aware of that. I honestly thought I could change their minds by doing something cool and relatable for the community and Twitch and gaming. Maybe i could convince them that NFTs can be cool but in hindsight that was not the right thing to do.
He repeated that he would continue to draw content creators as trading cards, as he is passionate about it but won't be selling them in any way.
Just wanted to get this video out there because I don't want people to think I'm a scam artist or something.
He also confessed that he did not go the extra mile to contact the streamers as they are elusive personalities with mass followings. He felt he would directly attract their attention with his products. He ended the video with the words.
They just didn't like it and me selling their likeness and what not. I disrespected them and now I feel awful about it.
While Ludwig's reaction to the disbandment of the entire project is awaited, this is what some fans had to say about the entire drama.
Fans react to the entire Ludwig-NFT drama
The streaming community and their viewers have all been pretty vocal about NFT's, but there's an additional element of an artist who seems to want to create some content that further polarizes the reactions that fans have had to the entire incident.
Some fans compared how passionately streamers defend their right to "react" to content on streams to Ludwig's indignant reaction at someone making an unauthorized NFT of him.
Many fans who liked the artwork but disliked NFT's advised the artist to change paths.
This is not the first, and in all probability, a final scuffle between the streaming community and NFTs.
While the matter seems to have settled, if the streamer pursues the legal route against MetaDeckz, and if the rumored regulatory changes to NFTs ever come about, both remain to be seen.
