Zack Hoyt, who goes by the names Asmongold and ZackRawrr online, is once again at the center of controversy. The content creator who rose to fame through streaming World of Warcrafthas mocked survivors of Hurricane KatrinaAnd defended the use of certain insults to his audience. Now, Hoyt’s recent comments on the ongoing conflict in Gaza have once again sparked widespread criticism of the YouTuber and led to Twitch banning his channel.
After an inflammatory livestream on Monday, other YouTubers spoke out against Hoyt’s comments on Palestine, while Hoyt’s own business partners acknowledged the dangerousness of his rhetoric. On Wednesday, Hoyt himself released an apology video to his viewers. However, the incident still led to action from Twitch – here’s why.
Why was Asmongold suspended from Twitch?
Twitch typically does not confirm the specific reason for a ban. However, we do know that the streaming platform banned Hoyt’s channel the day after a stream in which he spoke about the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Palestinian people. When asked for comment on the ban, a Twitch representative said: “We take enforcement action when there are violations of our ban.” Community Guidelines
Hoyt reports in his Monday livestream said about the Palestinian people who died in Gaza“I don’t give a shit. These are terrible people. It’s not even a question.” In the same tirade, he called Palestinians an “inferior culture.” Online, people called for Twitch to be banned the channel. On Tuesday, Hoyt’s alternative Zackrawrr channelwhere he made the comments has been deactivated. At the time of publication, the channel was still deactivated and sources were familiar with the matter Hoyt reportedly received a two-week suspension. His original channel remains active, but he has not used it to stream since June 2023.
How did streamers react to Asmongold’s comments about Palestine?
At the time of Hoyt’s livestream, several media outlets had reported a finding by UN aid agencies that Israel threatened to starve the northern Gaza Strip. The reporting came as Israel continued to do so bomb the northern Gaza Strip and Lebanonan offensive that has resulted in the deaths of 40,000 Palestinians in the last 10 months, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Earlier this year, a UN special rapporteur said there were “reasonable reasons” for this officially calling the attack a genocide.
Hoyt’s comments sparked a combination of reactions. Some mentioned the insensitivity of the comments given current events, while others poked fun at Hoyt, who is known for streaming from an unkempt, trash-covered bedroom.
“The sad thing is that millions of Americans actually believe this about black and brown people outside of the global north,” Daniel Ahmad, a frequent commentator in the gaming world, said on X in response to the video. (Ahmad’s comment was liked more than 9,900 times
The nature of the comments even inspired those close to Hoyt to speak out. In addition to streaming, Hoyt is a co-founder of media company One True King (OTK) and PC seller Starforge Systems. Tips Out, Chief Operating Officer of OTK, responded to Hoyt’s comments on TuesdayAs the son of Syrian immigrants, he talks about his personal story of experiencing prejudice as a child in the United States.
For many who heard Zack’s comments, the language he used, whether intentional or not, signified the same dehumanization that plagued their ancestors, their grandparents and, in some cases, their families today. It is the same language used to justify wanton violence, genocide and the destruction of our universal brotherhood. It is the same language used to dismiss a video of a Palestinian woman and child being burned alive as the “price of war.”
The following day the official OTK account announced on X that Hoyt would “step back from his roles” at OTK and other affiliates.
“OTK condemns all forms of discrimination and violence, and this type of behavior cannot be tolerated.” the account said. “We spoke with Zack last night and he will be stepping down from his roles at OTK and our subsidiaries Starforge, Mythic and Mad Mushroom.”
Has Asmongold apologized for the comments?
On Wednesday, Hoyt shared an apology video on YouTube reply to his comments. In the video, he announced that he would be stepping down from his leadership positions at OTK and Starforge Systems and expressed regret over the impact of his comments.
“When I look back at some of the things I’ve said and done over the last two years, I don’t think I was wrong about anything that was obviously right, but there were ways in which I communicated and.” The way I acted is unjustifiable. “Looking back, it’s just disgusting,” he said.
Some online applauded Hoyt for taking responsibility in his apology, although it is still too early to tell what long-term impact this might have on his work or whether Hoyt will continue to apologize. Within hours of the YouTube message, the streamer responded with one Reddit post explaining his apology to his audience. “I’m not changing anything other than trying to be more positive and less vicious,” he wrote in a statement that also began with the R-slur.
