Why was Dota 2 streamer Mason banned from Twitch for 30 days, then unbanned 4.5 hours later?

Mason “Mason” Venne, one of the more popular Dota 2 streamers on Twitch, faced a 30-day ban yesterday, before being unbanned within four and a half hours, in a really bizarre turn of events.

The reason for his ban was a running joke of him derisively spitting when Twitch viewers would mention their country of origin in chat. In this particular case, which was reportedly the cause of his ban, the country in question was Palestine.

The particular clip in question drew a reaction from another Dota 2 personality, Mira "Ephey" Riad, as well, who was visibly appalled at Mason’s behavior.

Why was Dota 2 streamer Mason banned on Twitch?

Mason is infamous for his antics on stream. Apparently, he has a running joke within his community. When someone in the chat says “Greetings from X country,” he spits on the floor as a joke.

This time, the country in question was Palestine. Considering the current political turmoil regarding Palestine it is no wonder that his joke was perceived to be against Twitch’s terms of service, especially when reviewed by someone who is certainly not acquainted with the inside jokes of Mason’s community.

I have been suspended for 30 days from Twitch for doing my running joke of spitting when people type "greetings from ____" Been doing this for months and it's not targeted at any specific group of people. Bit of a 4weirdsad, I am appealing. Until then bros, only spit on the grass

— mason (@masondota) August 3, 2021

This is the fifth time Mason has been banned on Twitch. Prior to this, the reason for his bans included his usage of ableist and homophobic slurs. His Twitch viewers using racist and sexist language in a barely moderated chat was also the reason behind one of his bans.

Why was Mason promptly unbanned?

Even though Mason was handed a 30-day ban, it was cut short to only four and a half hours. The reason for the quick unban is not clearly known.

and I am unbanned. Will stream tomorrow probably. Let's all be the best we can be in-game and out of game :)

— mason (@masondota) August 3, 2021

However, it can be guessed that Twitch admins most likely reconsidered the offense as it is a running joke within his community. Even though it seems clearly xenophobic, it probably falls within a gray area in Twitch’s legal literature.

Overall, as a veteran Dota 2 streamer, Mason’s ban, even though cut short, leaves a bad taste in the mouth for the wider Dota 2 community. Popular figures like Mason are surely expected to behave in a less crass and offensive way.