The Biggest Unanswered Questions About Dr Disrespect's Ban

On June 26, Dr Disrespect was hit by a supposedly permanent Twitch ban that shocked his fans and unceremoniously booted him off the platform where he's been streaming for years. Weeks have passed, and there are still plenty of questions to go around, and no word on when any of them may get answered.

The streamer, who was relatively silent in the aftermath of the ban, has recently given guarded interviews to publications such as The Washington Post and PC Gamer. The Doc has confirmed what many people already knew or could have guessed — he's been banned, he says he doesn't know why, and he won't return to Twitch. He did tell The Washington Post that he's taken a short beach vacation and spent time with his family in the meantime. Beyond that, though, Dr Disrespect seems to be holding back information that would shed light on the situation.

Of course, Dr Disrespect isn't the only one holding back information. Twitch has been cagey about revealing information on the situation as well. The biggest question we still have — and have had since this whole thing began — is: "What did Dr Disrespect do to earn a lifetime ban from Twitch without any notice?" Considering Dr Disrespect had signed a new deal with Twitch just a couple of months beforehand, the ban came as quite a shock.

In the absence of any official news on this front, speculation has run rampant. People have said that Dr Disrespect knows what the charges are, and that's why his last broadcast ended on a rather somber note, out of tune for the normally bombastic streamer. Dr Disrespect has denied that he knew anything at that point: he says he was simply referencing the state of the world at that time. Several sources have pointed out that the ban came right after Twitch announced it would permanently ban streamers for sexual abuse and harassment, but the Doc doesn't seem to have any pending public complaints against him.

Some have also referenced recent statements he made about the coronavirus as potential reasons for the ban. Fellow streamer Alinity was even blamed for Dr Disrespect's fall.

In his PC Gamer interview, Dr Disrespect deferred to his legal counsel several times, and said in response to a direct question, "We are considering taking legal action." So, it's clear some negotiating and decision-making is going on behind the scenes that may result in further news, and this chapter is not over yet.

It's unclear from the interview, though, on what grounds he might sue Twitch — and if he's telling the truth about his lack of knowledge regarding the ban, he may not have the ammunition he needs to lay out a proper case. His publicist even chimed in, pointing out how there is "no formal warnings or reprimand on record." 

Perhaps there's a contract violation, here, though, that Dr Disrespect can point to in how Twitch dealt with the matter. Whatever happens, it's clear the industry will be watching. Twitch has long been criticized for the inconsistent way it hands out its bans, and a lawsuit of this kind could affect how the platform deals with streamers in the future.

So, what's next for the Doc? It's hard to imagine he will simply go off quietly into the night.

Dr Disrespect told CNN he is considering his options, such as YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming, but is not interested in an exclusive deal with any platform yet. He may also simply stream through his own website, and it sounds like he intends to move forward with his book deal and TV deal, which presumably means these were not affected by the ban.

"Ah, man, you're going to have to tune in to find out. That's part of the fun," he said to PC Gamer. "I think that's one of Doc's things is doing these cool projects and the big surprise elements that are involved. Whether it's directly through the stream or a combination of social media and the stream but, fans should expect Doc 3.0."

In the meantime, he also released a cryptic music video to Twitter on July 16, featuring the lyrics, "It's out of my hands, but I'm still in control/It's out of my hands, you can never take away the power of my soul." Hmm. Sounds like you can soon expect more from the Doc. It's just a matter of time. Perhaps the truth will out after all.