The Real Reason Pokimane Is Taking Another Twitch Hiatus

Pokimane has worked to openly discuss mental health in her streams, taking breaks when needed to take care of herself and be the best for her fans. It makes sense that Pokimane might need time off for a reset. While she enjoys over 9 million fans on Twitch, she also regularly receives toxic messages from viewers, which take a toll on her. Recently, Pokimane shared that she'll be stepping away from streaming in order to clear her head and reset. Fans are wondering how long the break will be, while still remaining supportive of their favorite streamer.

This isn't the first time Pokimane has taken a short break for her mental health. In 2020, Pokimane stepped away from the camera for an extended break to take care of herself. 2020 was a stressful year for Pokimane, after all. She moved out of the Offline TV house and set out on her own, endured numerous negative messages from hateful viewers, and dealt with drama between her and fellow OfflineTV member Fedmyster. As promised, the break was a short one, and Pokimane returned better than ever, feeling refreshed from her time away from streaming.

Here's what we know about Pokimane's latest break, and how fans have responded to her announcement.

Instead of sharing the information live on stream, Pokimane decided to tweet the news that she'd be stepping away from streaming for a short time. She posted a screenshot of the Notes app on Twitter, writing, "I've been feeling in need of a mental reset & some time to focus on myself / my life offline. IMO proper breaks are essential to one's health / career longevity." Pokimane continued the post by thanking her fans for sticking with her throughout her streaming career and crediting her viewers for her success. "Thanks for putting me in a position where I'm able to take time off like this," she wrote. "Looking forward to coming back refreshed and ready to make more content."

Overall, Pokimane seemed positive about her upcoming break, responding to several of her streamer friends who commented on her announcement. Fellow streamer and content creator Aria Saki tweeted to Pokimane, saying that she should visit her in Canada during Pokimane's time off. Pokimane responded, saying that she just might be down to meet up in Canada and recruit Saki to be her tour guide.

Other streamers, like Ludwig, wished Pokimane a happy break, telling her to enjoy her time off and make the most of it. Scarra, fresh from the OfflineTV Japan trip, also told Pokimane to have a nice vacation. Leena Xu, also of OfflineTV, told Pokimane, "You are one of the most hard working people I know, enjoy your break and come back stronger!"

While Pokimane's streamer friends – along with some fans – seemed supportive of her decision to take a break from streaming, many viewers weren't so supportive.

Some viewers insisted that Pokimane didn't need time off because her job isn't that taxing. One commenter tweeted, "If my child said they were taking a break for a 'mental reset' I would no longer consider them my kin. No rest!" They then posted an image of basketball star Lebron James reviewing game tape, allegedly without taking the time to sleep. Another viewer responded, "Imagine needing a mental reset as a professional video game player! She wouldn't last a day out on the construction site!" While it's somewhat unclear if the responses were sarcastic or not, several fans insisted that streaming wasn't a real job and that Pokimane should not take a break.

One viewer noticed a pattern in Pokimane's breaks, writing, "Didn't you do this last year and the year before that? Then you come back at September." Another viewer responded that people should take breaks more often than that, and that Pokimane should perhaps take more time away for her mental health. It's unclear when Pokimane will return to streaming, but it's true that in the past she's typically taken breaks that last from a few weeks to a month.

One gamer responded to Pokimane's announcement with a completely different take, arguing that while it's great for streamers to take breaks, that same type of "mental reset" isn't afforded to average people. They argued that when big name streamers like Pokimane take lengthy breaks and discuss mental health, it comes from a place of privilege that many of their own viewers can't afford.

All told, most wished Pokimane well during her break. Fans will have to wait and see when she makes her return to streaming.