The Real Reason Pokimane Stopped Streaming Fortnite

Imane Anys, better known in the streaming world as Pokimane, got her start on Twitch playing League of Legends but quickly became well known for her Fortnite high jinks. In 2018, she said she spent upwards of 40 hours per week in the game. She's such a fixture there that she even got her own Fortnite emote, which was available for a bit in early 2020. Despite this, she's gotten progressively scarcer in the game.

The world of streaming, while often a source of positivity, has its share of conflict, scandal, and toxicity. When a streamer pivots away from a favorite game, you can't help but wonder why, especially with someone as high-profile as Pokimane. Does it have to do with a feud with another streamer? Fans acting up? Promotional deals gone awry?

Fortunately, Pokimane puts a lot of herself out there. She's been pretty open about her life in general, and you don't have to go too far to find out the truth about her Fortnite absence.

In a vlog style YouTube video from March 2019, Pokimane explained her parents had come to town and she used this as an opprotunity to "chill out and kinda just do a bit of a mental reset, which I felt I really needed."

She said she tends to keep moving forward without re-evaluating her content and her direction, and in stepping back she realized she is fortunate enough to be able to prioritize her happiness over making money: she can play what she wants and experiment to see what works. And she specifically addressed Fortnite, stating, "I do still enjoy Fortnite sometimes but I don't really have a feeling of wanting to play it all the time." 

Fair enough. She's certainly allowed to get tired of a game. And Fortnite, while still hugely popular, has faded over time from its initial popularity. She's not the only one who isn't playing as much.

In the description for the video, Pokimane notes,"I hope you all understand what I mean when I say I want to be able to do lots of different fun content for you all, and some of that will include Fortnite but some of it may not — I just have newfound motivation to try new things and make that entertaining for y'all, and not feel restricted!"

Despite taking a step back, Pokimane didn't stop streaming Fortnite altogether. She has continued to be an integral part of the Fortnite community, though she's limited the time she spends playing the game.

In February, Pokimane came out with another video that elaborates on her current thoughts about Fortnite. "I feel like Fortnite hasn't released anything new in a minute," she said, echoing the feelings of many fans who ended up having to wait until later that month to see Chapter 2 – Season 2.

Pokimane also elaborated on why she doesn't stream Fortnite as much. "I think I could play it for a few hours but I just don't really like to stream it because I just get like a million stream snipers and then I want to cry."

This isn't surprising at all. A player of her level of fame is definitely going to be targeted by other players as soon as she's spotted. They might also be looking for a few minutes of fame themselves via her stream. However, being targeted by up to a dozen players per game doesn't make for a very fun experience for Pokimane, so it's no wonder she's keeping it on the down-low when it comes to playing Fortnite.