Asmongold has somehow become Twitch’s bad guy for no good reason
Twitch: AsmongoldTwitch streamer Asmongold is one of the biggest names on the platform, and has been for the better part of the decade. But, he has been moved to take a break from streaming – and it comes amid increased scrutiny on his every word.
Asmongold is like marmite: you love him, or you hate him. There’s very little in between for the masses of viewers on Twitch.
Called out for being an “a**hole” by one of Blizzard’s employees, some have been quick to jump on the ‘cancel Asmongold’ bandwagon. The hate has ramped up significantly since the earth-shattering lawsuit against the company, something that the Texan Twitch sensation has been incredibly vocal about.
So it’s hardly a surprise that, in the wake of snowballing popularity and, in turn, increased hate, Asmongold has elected to take a break from streaming. Citing “personal reasons” and a need to “recalibrate,” avid fans have missed his fun-filled Final Fantasy XIV Online streams.
But how did Asmongold become Twitch’s resident villain?
YouTube: AsmongoldThe WoW streamer who ‘abandoned’ WoW
Before there was FFXIV and Asmongold Bald, the Warrior of Light, there was Asmongold, the Hero of Azeroth. His pivot towards Square Enix’s MMO has left some long-time fans with a bad taste in their mouths.
Despite reiterating on numerous occasions that “I don’t want to quit the game, I don’t have any plans to quit the game,” OG WoW fans have been quick to call him out for casting the title aside. But why is this such a big deal? Streamers play different games all the time, why is Asmongold so different? He has an opinion, that’s why.
To those who see Azeroth as a home away from home, it’s been hard watching the game decline. Logging in to quieter servers, or seeing scathing reviews on Twitter hurts. But at the end of the day, Asmongold is just one amid a chorus of players who are calling out Blizzard for what they’ve done. It just so happens he’s got 2.4 million Twitch followers, and most of us don’t.
The price of popularity is incredibly high these days, and it’s this popularity that makes him the perfect scapegoat.
Like moths to a flame
We all want someone or something to blame when things go wrong. However, why is Asmon seen to be at the root of all of World of Warcraft’s problems? When people discuss toxicity in the WoW community, some point the finger straight at Asmongold.
But, is it toxic to simply criticize a game? No game is perfect, but considering WoW player feedback has constantly fallen on deaf ears, people are allowed to be angry. Asmon has just vocalized what a lot of players want without holding back.
Sure, it may be abrasive, it may be blunt, it might not be what you want to hear, but the intentions are good. They’re not toxic – they’re about making Azeroth a better place for everyone.
A game can’t grow if people don’t critique it, that’s why I feel WoW has been so stagnant. The difference is, my Twitter rantings don’t reach millions of people. Asmon’s do, and it just allows people to pile in, even when most of these people haven’t even watched one of his streams.
Twitch: AsmongoldIs Asmongold the bad guy of Twitch?
As much as I enjoy Asmongold’s FFXIV content, I love the Just Chatting segment of his streams. It shows that there’s a real person behind the camera.
Throughout his Twitch journey Asmon has hammered home that he’s “not a role model,” but I disagree. Just your average guy living in your average house and chatting about average human issues, he is a role model. He’s also not afraid to admit mistakes.
If being an a**hole is just keeping it real, then we should all be proud to be a**holes. It’s not toxic to have an opinion – everyone is entitled to one.
Asmongold isn’t the bad guy of Twitch. In fact, he’s probably one of the good guys. The saying goes that ‘nice guys finish last,’ and it always seems to be that way. I hope, though, that we see him back on our screens sometime soon.