Summary
PopularTwitchstreamer Asmongold recently voiced his disapproval of Kick’s decision to ban fellow streamer Destiny for alleged hate speech. Kick, a Stake-backed streaming platform aiming to rival Amazon-ownedTwitch, imposed the ban in response to Destiny’s controversial comments about the Trump rally shooting.
Destiny joined Kick in June 2023, entering into a 12-month non-exclusive streaming contract. He is now best known for his political commentary, identifying as a social democrat and advocating for liberal and progressive issues. On July 16, Kick imposed its first-ever account suspension on Destiny, which will last until July 31. This decision came after Destiny made controversial remarks about Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old firefighter who was killed in a shooting at a Trump rally. Destiny’s comments included a statement that he would mock conservative fans if they were killed at an event. Online reactions to Destiny’s ban were mixed, with some urging him to moderate his rhetoric while others claim his suspension highlights Kick’s double standards.
Recently, Twitch star Asmongold criticizedKick for banning Destinyover alleged hate speech. He argued that, while it’s fair to revoke partnerships or impose other penalties, removing someone from the platform entirely is excessive, especially when other serious offenders remain active. Asmongold emphasized that such uneven consequences undermine respect for platform rules. He disagrees with the ban, even though he doesn’t necessarily support all of Destiny’s views, and hopes that Destiny will be reinstated. Additionally, Asmongold pointed out that one of Kick’s attractions is its more lenient stance on controversial speech, allowing users to say things without fear of severe repercussions.
What Does Kick Banning Destiny Mean?
When Kick was launched, the platform’s key attractions for streamers were its higher payouts compared to Twitch and its more relaxed ban policies. These features drew many top content creators to the platform, including streamer Adin Ross as one of the first to join. Other notable creators who havejoined Kick include xQc, Nickmercs, and Amouranth. While Kick generally maintains a lenient stance, the recent ban on Destiny shows that it does take action when it believes its rules have been broken, although the fairness of these actions is subject to debate.
It is also notable that this is not the first timeAsmongold has called out a streaming platform. Last year, he criticized streamers for using viewbotting, the act of artificially inflating viewing numbers on a channel, and also criticized Twitch for failing to take action against it.
