Smash pro Nairo announces switch to YouTube following permanent Twitch ban

Smash pro Nairo has explained why he will start streaming on YouTube rather than Twitch after being unbanned from esports competitions.  

One of the major players in the Smash scene, Nairoby ‘Nairo’ Quezada was banned from Twitch in July after he was accused of sexually assaulting fellow Smash pro Zack ‘CaptainZack’ Lauth when the former was 20 and the latter 15.

However, after CaptainZack was found to have blackmailed Nairo, and was accused of being the perpetrator, fans have called for Nairo to have his name cleared on all platforms.

After campaigning from both fans and fellow pros, the Palutena main was unbanned from competing in Smash tournaments back in March. However, despite pressure from fans, Nairo is still not allowed to stream on Twitch.

On April 2, Nairo broke his silence to announce his intention to return to streaming. However, with his Twitch ban still in place, he explained that he would be using YouTube instead.

“I’m gonna continue to try and get my Twitch channel back, but in the meantime, I’m gonna start streaming here on YouTube,” he said.

“Twitch has rules in place that don’t allow a banned streamer to be showcased on another Twitch stream, otherwise that stream could potentially get banned as well.

“For example, if a new character comes out and I’m streaming on YouTube and a friend of mine is streaming on Twitch, if we want to play against each other like how we used to for other character releases, we won’t be able to do that anymore because they’re streaming on Twitch.”

Nairo then explained why the Twitch ban will prevent him from playing in Smash tournaments, despite being officially unbanned from competing.

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“If I’m showcased on a particular tournament that’s being streamed on Twitch, that could cause a problem for that tournament, especially since I have a high chance of appearing on stream,” he added.

“It doesn’t matter how many tourney appeals I clear and get unbanned from because I still can’t really participate… It’s something I’m gonna have to deal with, and I’m gonna continue to try and get my channel back.”

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Nairo also revealed he has recorded a reaction video to Sephiroth’s reveal, but he said he was too “anxious” to release it just yet.

Nairo’s return to the Smash scene has been welcomed by fans across the board, who are delighted to see him back producing content. Whether Twitch will hear his appeals and reinstate his channel remains to be seen.