5 biggest streamer controversies of 2023 so far

In the world of online entertainment and content creation, few phenomena have captured the attention and fascination of audiences as the rise of streamers. These digital stars have carved out a unique niche, captivating millions with their gameplay, commentary, and engaging personalities. However, along with their meteoric rise to fame, these popular content creators have also been embroiled in controversies that have left their fans shocked and the wider internet community buzzing.

From minor slip-ups to the most shocking scandals, streamer controversies have become headline news, generating heated discussions and sparking debates across social media platforms. These controversies often involve offensive or insensitive comments aimed at each other, failing relationships, accusations of cheating, gambling & unfair play, and even instances of inappropriate behavior.

The consequences of these controversies can be far-reaching, with streamers facing backlash from fans, sponsors, and fellow content creators. This list explores a few controversies from the past six months that have led to popular content creators getting suspended, perma-banned from streaming platforms, losing sponsorships, and damaging their reputations.

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xQc's breakup drama and four other streamer controversies that made waves this year

1) Deepfake controversy

Starting off this list is the biggest controversy of January 2023, Brandon "Atrioc," and the deepfake controversy. On 26 January, during one of his usual live streams, Atrioc alt-tabbed away from the game screen to reveal contentious tabs open on his browser. While Brandon initially remained oblivious to the tab, eagle-eyed viewers quickly noticed that the website in question offers deepfakes of popular streamers like Maya Higa, Pokimane, QTCinderella, and many more.

As one could imagine, this quickly became the talk of what seemed to be the entirety of social media, with content creators like Valkyrae, HasanAbi, and QTCinderella voicing their repulsion towards Atrioc's behavior. The incident culminated with Atrioc issuing a public apology on his live stream with his wife beside him, where he vowed to step down from his responsibilities as co-owner of OFFBRAND and combat the deepfake-pornography epidemic.

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2) Adin Ross joins KICK following Twitch ban

The biggest controversy of February and the year up until March 2023 featured none other than Adin Ross, arguably the most controversial streamer of the year. During a whirlwind month that later turned out to be career-defining, the young American streamer was first perma-banned by the purple platform for apparently "no good reason," claiming they intentionally "targeted and picked on him."

Ross had been streaming on KICK and Twitch at the same time. Following the Twitch ban, he was forced to stream only on KICK, wherein he was clipped asking an Omegle user to "act black" for $200, watching p*rn on stream, and asking a HasanAbi fan to "s*it his throat" before he formally joined KICK as an exclusive streamer. Ross is still riling fans and content creators alike with his words and actions by tweeting his controversial thoughts like "there are only two genders" and asking HasanAbi to "k*ll himself" during an anti-LGBTQ+ rant on stream.

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3) Sneako and MoistCriTika1 feud

In the month of March 2023, popular content creator Charlie "MoistCriTika1" and controversial "red-pill community" streamer Nico "Sneako" became a hot topic for discussion following an extremely public feud. What initially started out as generic name-calling and joking about each other's partners eventually reached a boiling point. Charlie went as far as showing his guns on stream after Nico threatened to "come to his house and kill him."

Following a slew of YouTube videos from Charlie that added more context to the viral Twitter beef and reiterated his stance on Sneako as a person and content creator, fans made it evidently clear that Charlie has "won" this feud for the time being.

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4) Adept and xQc drama

In what appears to be the longest breakup known to mankind, Felix "xQc" and Sam "Adept" first announced their mutual decision to part ways in October 2022. The news sent shockwaves through their fan bases, and when Adept used a live stream to address some of the rumors regarding the fallout, xQc was quick to respond, unknowingly starting a long drawn-out battle. These star-crossed lovers have been going through a divorce since January 2023 and are embroiled in a legal case that can not be discussed on stream.

Most recently, we saw Adept breaking and entering xQc's home while changing the locks and stealing his childhood pictures. On June 7, xQc was forced to cut his live stream short after he noticed an intruder had changed the code to the door of one of his houses.

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5) Kai Cenat's s*xually suggestive live stream

Wrapping up this list on a relatively lighter note is none other than Twitch's fastest-rising streamer and potential golden boy, Kai Cenat. The young American streamer announced his month-long subathon called MAFIATHON on January 31, 2023, with his fans eagerly waiting for the days to come. As you would imagine, with a creator like Kai, his subathon had everything. From hanging out with banned streamers to taking a shower on stream, Kai was all set on his way to becoming the most popular streamer thanks to entertaining and eccentric content.

However, during a live stream that over 70,000 viewers watched, Kai was seen getting naughty and frisky with one of his female visitors. The incident occurred as Kai and his friends casually gathered at the bar area of his house when a girl could be seen putting her hands inside his pants. Although partially obscured from view, the presence of a mirror behind them revealed the guest's hand inside his pants.