Recently, Twitch released some bizarre rules and guidelines for the platform’s streamers on discussing Hot Shot Duo Drop featuring Fortnite, a $100K Fortnite tournament hosted by notoriously Twitch-banned streamer, Dr Disrespect. Jake Lucky, from Full Squad Gaming, posted screenshot on Twitter of Twitch’s in-house reminder of the platform’s terms and conditions for the organizer of the event, BoomTV, and participating streamers.
Twitch’s rules state that streamers must refrain from mentioning, featuring, or advertising suspended Twitch users. Furthermore, due to Dr Disrespect hosting the tournament, it will be inevitable he will be shown in streams; therefore, Twitch dictates that streamers must make a “good faith effort” to remove, mute, or limit interactions with the tournament’s host. If not absurd enough, Twitch even advises streamers should be mindful of showing the tournament’s brackets on screen, in case it features Dr. Disrespect’s name, and to refer to Dr Disrespect through different monikers like “two time” and “Blockbuster video game champion.”
While it is company policy for streamers to refrain from mentioning or collaborating with banished users; however, Twitch’s exaggerated ruleset for Dr Disrespect’s tournament may stem from the lawsuits between the two. In June 2020, Dr. Disrespect’s Twitch channel mysteriously disappeared after Twitch had banned Dr. Disrespect with no official reason stated. Dr Disrespect claimed to know the reason why and filed lawsuit against Twitch, stating Twitch’s reason is insufficient by asserting “there’s a reason why we’re suing the f**k out of them.” In March 2022, Dr Disrespect revealed both parties had settled the lawsuit without either side claiming fault and that he would not return to Twitch. Dr Disrespect used to be decently popular Twitch streamer; however, now Dr Disrespect has transitioned to Youtube, where he is the fourth biggest streamer on the site, most likely propelled by the publicity of his Twitch ban and lawsuit.