Twitch Removes Classic PogChamp Emote After Gootecks Comments On Capitol Attack
Following comments by Cross Country TV Co-Founder Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez about the protests in Washington D.C., Twitch has announced that the platform will be removing the PogChamp emote from the website's chat. This is not the first time that Twitch has removed an emote for similar situations, and there are plans to rebrand the emote to better represent the meaning of the term "pog" within the community.
The PogChamp emote itself is a prolific part of Twitch chat, often used for moments of extreme "hype" or impressive upsets in competitions or record setting challenge runs in games. Beyond the use of the emote for when streamers complete an impressive feat, the term "pog" has also become shorthand with a whole host of uses, generally referring to certain members of the audience.
In a thread by the official Twitch Twitter account, the platform claims that it will be removing the PogChamp emote because of comments made by face of the emote "encouraging further violence" after the protests on the Capitol Building on January 6th. Additionally, Twitch is also standing by the use of the term "pog" and claims that the company will be working with the community to create a new face for the emote. So, while an image of Gootecks' face has previously been used as the icon of the term for impressive moments on Twitch, the platform doesn't intend to force the community to change the social use of the word.
The comments in question from Gootecks involved the tragic death of a protestor during the protests that took place in Washington D.C. shortly after protestors breached the Capitol Building. Twitch specifically took issue with the way that Gootecks framed the response to the moment, allegedly inciting further violence rather than pressing for peace. As a result of the coverage, with other Twitch streamers weighing in on the protests, the platform has had to make a number of decisions regarding the situation, including the removal of the PogChamp emote.
Considering that the emote itself is one that comes standard with accounts on the platform and isn't tied directly to any specific streamer, it is up to Twitch's discretion to ban the image. The response from fans is mixed, which shouldn't be surprising, considering that the worldwide audience that has become familiar with the emote may either not way in with political ideologies, or be fully informed on the situation. However, some notable streamers and members of community outreach have openly praised Twitch's decision.
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