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In the wake of the banning of one of the most well known variety streamers, Dr. Disrespect, the internet gaming community has exploded into different reactions. With all the rumors and speculation around, it can be hard to separate out what’s real and what’s fake. Here’s all the information we know so far.
Dr. Disrespect was banned on June 26th
Dr. Disrespect’s ban was made public thanks to the automated twitter bot @StreamerBans. Information related to this ban has been sparse, with Twitch only stating that the ban is a result of violations of their community guidelines or terms of service. Twitch has not yet said anything more detailed or specific since.
Twitch refunded subscriptions to Dr. Disrespect’s stream
Twitch doesn’t exactly have a history of refunding the cost of subscriptions in the wake of bannings. This would make it seem like Twitch believes that the refunds are warranted, either because of the underlying reason for the ban or simply because of the size of Dr. Disrespect’s community. Twitch, owned by Amazon and the richest man in the world, certainly has money to spare, but businesses are not known to frequently choose an ideological action over a profitable one. It would be a safe interpretation to suggest that whatever the reason, Twitch likely believed not banning him would cost them more in negative publicity and profits in the future.
Note that this does not necessarily imply anything negative about Dr. Disrespect’s character at this moment.
Some people claim inside information, but are refusing to talk
Rod Breslau, @Slasher on Twitter, has been critical in releasing information about streamer bannings in the past. On June 27th he claimed to have inside information from “credible sources” about the nature of Dr. Disrespect’s ban, but is refusing to talk about it “due to the importance and sensitivity around the subject.” He had announced that the ban was not related to any possible DMCA violations, so we can eliminate that as a reason for the banning. What is interesting to note is that Breslau previously had no problem publicly posting about other bans which involved sexual assault allogations, although none involving someone quite so well known as Dr Disrespect.
Twitch has been banning other streamers with accusations against them
Dr. Disrespect was not the first streamer banned this week, and will likely not be the last. On June 24th, 10 other streamers received bans, at least some of them permanently and a result of credible sexual abuse accusations. Although Twitch has not said anything about most of these smaller streamers either, credible information regarding their bans has come from other sources. What sets Dr. Disrespect apart is that no one has said anything publicly about the ban so far.
Dr. Disrespect claims not to have been told why he was banned
Late last night, Dr. Disrespect took to Twitter to post that he has not been told “the specific reason behind their decision.” Aside from that short statement, he has also been quiet on the issue. You can read more about this aspect here.
Dr. Disrespect’s wife, Mrs. Assassin, has issued a statement thanking the Champion’s Club
I don’t want to rehash old drama about their relationship, but at the very least it is fair to say that Mrs. Assassin has had fair cause to choose not to support her husband. It is unclear whether or not even she knows the real reason behind the ban, but her statement appears to reflect positively upon the community which grew around Dr. Disrespect.
And that’s just about it
If you are a fan of Dr. Disrespect I can understand how you might have an emotional connection to these events, but at the same time we shouldn’t rush to defend him either. Dr. Disrespect is a well known, and well paid, gaming personality. He will have all the resources he needs to defend himself if he believes this ban is unjustified. Until more information is available, avoid clinging to statements of “possibilities” behind the reasons for his ban, as those statements are almost completely meaningless.
Ultimately, if his ban ends up being due to a reason that does not harm his brand or reputation then fans can almost certain expect to find him on another streaming platform in the future.
