Dr Disrespect Suspended From Twitch

Superstar Twitch streamer Dr Disrespect has apparently landed himself in hot water. The thing is, nobody can seem to figure out what he did wrong this time.

Whatever the case, StreamerBans reported on Twitter that Dr Disrespect has been banned from Twitch. This is huge news, considering the Doc is a Twitch partner who has consistently been a top earner on the platform. He also renegotiated his contract earlier this year and was seemingly set to stay on as a partner for the foreseeable future. He announced this decision in an action-packed video posted just a few months ago.

Sure enough, a quick look at Dr Disrespect's Twitch channel reveals it is no longer available. Even stranger, there has been no word from the Doc just yet on why this has occurred. This stands in stark contrast to Dr Disrespect's usual M.O., which is to be as outspoken as humanly possible. 

According to Dr Disrepect's official Twitter page, he was scheduled to begin his regular daily stream at 10 a.m. PT. However, it appears that this never actually happened. Now, people are naturally trying to figure out what has occurred between Dr Disrespect and Twitch.

PC Gamer reached out to Twitch for a statement regarding the ban. However, it is not within Twitch's policy to publicly discuss bans. Instead, Twitch said, "As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community."

In other words, it appears this ban wasn't a mistake, but it's not clear what Dr Disrespect did to violate Twitch's policies. All that's known at this time is that he did indeed violate Twitch's Community Guidelines in some way. 

The last sentence in Twitch's statement is especially interesting. There have been several instances in recent months when Twitch partners and viewers alike have complained about Twitch's allegedly inconsistent approach to handling violations. Viewers highlighted these supposed inconsistencies when the community called for Alinity to be banned following a wardrobe malfunction, as well as when Tfue came under fire for using a racial slur on stream. 

In Alinity's case, she apparently gave herself a lengthier break from the platform when Twitch appeared reluctant to enforce more than a 24-hour ban. Meanwhile, Twitch did suspend one streamer for calling someone a "nerd."

It appears as though Twitch is trying to make a point that nobody is above its rules. While it's unclear what the Doc did to receive his ban (or if it is permanent), Twitch is definitely sending a message here. 

However, it's worth noting that Dr Disrespect has seen his fair share of controversy within just the past few years. He received a suspension from Twitch last year for streaming inside a public restroom at E3, which was seen as a violation of Twitch's conduct codes. Following the incident, the Doc took off his costume and posted an apology video as himself. 

This scandal was referenced by at least a few followers of the StreamerBans Twitter account. One person wrote, "How this guy's career didn't end when he decided to take a camera crew into a public restroom will forever baffle me."

There are also plenty of people in the comments coming to the Doc's defense. It seems that this has taken many of Dr Disrespect's fans by total surprise, particularly considering Twitch hasn't made it clear what Dr Disrespect's offense was.

Dr Disrespect was criticized a few months ago for discussing coronavirus conspiracy theories with his chat. At the time, he was denounced for using his platform in a way that some viewed as irresponsible. Gaming industry analyst Daniel Ahmad said, "With the ability to influence over 4m followers, he straight up endorsed the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory and advocated for lockdowns to end. The sad thing is Twitch / his sponsors probably won't do anything."

Now, it appears Twitch has done something, but the reasoning remains obscured. However, considering the statement released from Twitch, it seems the platform had a fairly good reason for making this decision. Hopefully, Twitch or Dr Disrespect will reveal more regarding the ban in the near future.