Twitch indefinitely bans Christian streamer for “hateful conduct”

Self-proclaimed “esports missionary,” ‘DrWitnesser,’ has been indefinitely banned from Twitch following numerous scandals from his attempts to preach the gospel during Fortnite games.

White or black button-up, bright orange tie, rectangular optical frames and a manicured chin-strap beard – DrWitnesser paints a unique picture as a Twitch streamer. And, just as his facial hair is devoid of a mustache, the gaming missionary preaches a life devoid of sin. 

In the past, these efforts to spread the gospel have boiled up into uncomfortable moments with Fortnite’s younger players. In one particularly heated moment, the streamer was banned for seven days by Twitch for telling a Muslim child that he would be “sentenced to hell.”  

Now, it appears that the streaming platform has found more evidence of unsavory behavior, prompting staff to levy an indefinite suspension against the religious streamer. In response, DrWitnesser has decried Twitch’s policies and announced a switch to YouTube.

https://twitter.com/DrWitnesser/status/1346970460668506118

As posted on January 6, DrWitnesser received an indefinite ban from Twitch for “engaging in hateful conduct against a person or group of people.” As the platform’s message indicates, the streamer’s behavior has resulted in numerous violations (or one extreme violation) that go against Twitch’s hopes for users to create a “friendly, positive experience.”

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While it’s unclear precisely what exactly prompted the ban, Witnesser’s reaction seems more focused on the platform’s overarching behavior than any individual violation. In response to his suspension, he laid out a general critique of the gaming giant: “They are a bias, hypocritical organization that shoves their agenda down everyone’s throats. I’m glad to be gone…taking some time off to decide my next move.”

Evidenced by a subsequent tweet, Witnesser didn’t need too much time off to decide his next move, as he quickly announced a move to YouTube.

https://twitter.com/DrWitnesser/status/1347262915510984706

Given the uncertainties surrounding DrWitnesser’s ban from Twitch, it remains to be seen how his content will fare on YouTube. While neither platform has any rules specifically prohibiting talk of religion, harassment and abuse policies likely frown upon threatening children with eternal damnation.

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At the moment, Twitch hasn’t responded to the esports missionary’s anger, but we’ll be sure to stay in the loop in case more information arises.