On Twitch, Fortnite pro-streamer Cody “Clix” Conrod received a seven-day ban this week after appearing alongside Zayn, a player who was recently banned permanently from the video game streaming platform. Twitch is the most successful video game streaming site, but recently it’s been losing many high-profile streamers to rival platforms. Among other reasons, big streamers hope that they can make more money on alternative platforms.
As one of the most popular video games in the world right now, Fortnite is featured prominently in countless streams and Youtube videos. Conrod is just one of thousands of players on Twitch playing Fortnite. Of course, Fortnite isn’t just a video game, it’s also a major financial opportunity for professional video game players. In addition to the $100 million prize pool at the 2019 Fortnite World Cup, pro-streamers can also earn a lot of money playing the game for fans’ enjoyment on sites like Twitch. As such, a permanent suspension can have a major impact on a pro gamer’s career.
Kotaku reported this week, and Conrod confirmed on Twitter, that Twitch banned the gamer for seven days after he appeared with Zayn on Monday. Conrod lamented the ban on Twitter, writing, “nice got a 7day ban for having zayn in my stream… I had him muted, changed his nickname. How does @Khanada_TV get a 3day and i get a 7day? WTF”. Like Conrod, Khanada was banned by Twitch for three days after appearing with Zayn in a stream. Twitch permanently banned Zayn, and its rules forbid players from featuring other banned players, hence the harsh response to Conrod’s stream. On Twitter, Conrod promised to bounce back from the week-long suspension.
The gaming community has seen a lot of bans and controversies in recent weeks. In addition to the number of pro-streamers leaving Twitch for rival platforms, Fortnite has also been involved in a controversy over political speech in video games. As Blizzard punished players for political content related to the protests in Hong Kong, Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, promised that it wouldn’t punish players for political speech. As gamers turn to online games for community, video games have emerged as a surprising free speech battleground.
Meanwhile, another professional Fortnite player was recently banned for using the cheating tool aimbots during a YouTube broadcast. Even though Jarvis had not used aimbots in a professional competition, Epic Games still handed down a ban for compromising the integrity of its game. With so much money at stake, for players, streamers, and video game makers alike, it’s easy to see why corporations would be sensitive to violations of their terms of service. Players may not like seeing their favorite Fortnite streamers suspended or banned from popular games and streaming platforms like Twitch, but there’s little they can do to stop it. As Conrod’s suspension proves, if streamers try to tempt fate by breaking the rules, they shouldn’t expect the powers that be to look the other way.
