Escape From Tarkov dev banned from Twitch, and gamers may know what happened

The developer of Escape From Tarkov has been banned from Twitch.

Battlestate Games, the studio behind Escape From Tarkov, was banned from the streaming platform on Jan. 1. This wasn’t the best way to start off the new year, especially since the ban coincided with a Twitch drops promotion within the game.

Now, when gamers go to Battlestate Games’ Twitch channel, the account is suspended for “violating Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.” The specific reason has not yet been made public, however.

Twitch never reveals the reason behind an account ban, but some fans have been speculating what may have caused the developer’s suspension. Some viewers witnessed a portion of the stream where developers were aiming toy guns at each other. This would go against Twitch’s guidelines around threats, which states streamers can’t brandish “lethal or harmful weapons.”

Of course, this isn’t always a guideline Twitch follows. Many streamers have successfully wielded knives and other weapons without facing any punishment. Twitch is notorious for its inconsistent rulings, however, so it wouldn’t be all too surprising if the airsoft gun battle led to a suspension.

Other Tarkov fans have discussed the possibility that the suspension was over a developer appearing drunk on stream. This could also go against Twitch’s guidelines on alcohol. Some fans also added that he said something offensive to a viewer in Russian, but this can’t be confirmed since all of the VODs of the latest stream have been removed as part of the ban.

This isn’t the first time Battlestate Games was suspended from Twitch. In 2019, the account was suspended when a developer pretended to shoot themselves with an unloaded pistol. Because the account was previously banned for a similar incident, it’s unclear how long the suspension will last this time around.

Fans of Escape From Tarkov can still earn Twitch drops, however, by watching participating streamers. The event won’t be disrupted despite the surprise ban.

So far, Battlestate Games has not made any public statements regarding the suspension from Twitch. The latest tweet, in fact, is still urging gamers to participate in the Twitch event.