Twitch Suspends Popular Streamer Asmongold for ‘Racist’, ‘Insensitive’ Remarks on Palestinians

Prominent Twitch streamer Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt, known for his massive following across two Twitch channels, has been temporarily banned after making ‘innappropriate’ comments about Palestinians during a livestream. Hoyt’s “Zackrawrr” channel, which has nearly two million followers, now displays a message stating it is “temporarily unavailable” due to violations of Twitch’s community guidelines.

What Did He Say?

Asmongold, who has a reputation for covering video games like World of Warcraft alongside current events, made comments on Palestinians, calling them “terrible people” and describing their culture as “inferior.”

In a clip that quickly circulated on social media, Asmongold made remarks, arguing that he would not “cry a river” over Palestinian casualties and referring to their culture as “directly antithetical to everything Western values stand for.”

Social Media Outrage

The streamer’s statements sparked outrage across social media platforms, with netizens calling out the streamer for his insensitive comments about Palestinians. “It’s sad that millions of Americans actually hold these views about marginalized people globally, one said.

He also faced backlash from many prominent figures within the Twitch community. Streamers like BrookeAB, who has over a million followers on Twitch, condemned his comments as “straight-up racism.” Hasan Piker, who streams as HasanAbi and has publicly advocated for Palestinian rights, also criticized Hoyt’s remarks and confronted him in a livestream discussion. Despite the backlash, Hoyt initially refused to backtrack on his comments, though he later issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter).

His statements came amid heightened tensions due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which has led to extensive civilian casualties, especially in Gaza. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli attacks have killed over 42,000 Palestinians since the war erupted on October 7, 2023.

His Apology

Asmongold posted a message on X, acknowledging that his remarks were “way too much” and that “no one deserves to have their life destroyed even if they do things or have views I find regressive.” He concluded by stating, “I’ll do better,” but this apology has done little to quell the community’s uproar.

Twitch’s community guidelines strictly prohibit content that promotes discrimination or expresses inferiority based on a protected characteristic. A Twitch spokesperson stated that enforcement actions are taken in response to violations of its hateful conduct policies, leading to the temporary ban on Asmongold’s “Zackrawrr” account. His primary account, which has over three million followers, remains unaffected, though he has not streamed from it in nearly a year.

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