Twitch Removes PogChamp Emote After the Face of the Emote Encourages Further Violence
The company will work with the community to find a new replacement.
Twitch has made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote from its platform after being directed to comments published on social media by the face of the emote. Twitch said that the comments made were “encouraging further violence” following domestic terrorists storming the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.
Yesterday, Capitol Hill saw protesters surround the building while government officials inside were certifying Joe Biden’s election victory. However, Trump supporters began to breach the building where 1 woman who was part of the mob attempting to force their way into one of the rooms, was shot by security and later died.
Zombaekillz tweeted a screenshot of a tweet from Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez —the face of the PogChamp emote on Twitch— in which he said, “Will there be civil unrest for the woman who was executed inside the Capitol today or will the #MAGAMartyr die in vain?”
so @Twitch due to this lovely statement…i think this pogchamp emote needs to be removed. pic.twitter.com/qQXrEEtIif
— Zombaekillz (She/Her) (@ZombaeKillz) January 7, 2021
Twitch, which was tagged in Zombaekillz tweet, acted quickly and issued a social media statement that announced it had removed the emote from the platform “following statements from the face of the emote encouraging further violence after what took place in the Capitol today.” The company states that it wants the sentiment and use of “Pog” to live on but “we can’t in good conscience continue to enable use of the image.”
We want the sentiment and use of Pog to live on – its meaning is much bigger than the person depicted or image itself– and it has a big place in Twitch culture. However, we can’t in good conscience continue to enable use of the image.
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 7, 2021
Polygon notes that Gutierrez has made the news previously through spreading conspiracy theories as reported by Kotaku last year. Twitch’s community guidelines state “Acts and threats of violence will be taken seriously and are considered zero-tolerance violations and all accounts associated with such activities will be indefinitely suspended.”
Twitch has also stated that it will be working with the community to design a new emote to celebrated hype moments on Twitch. This has already seen a range of users on Twitter sharing their best “Pog” face as a replacement.
We will work with the community to design a new emote for the most hype moments on Twitch.
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 7, 2021
