Dr Disrespect’s Twitch ban and lawsuit, explained

A history of Doc's dispute with Twich.
Screengrab via [Dr Disrespect](https://www.twitch.tv/DrDisRespectLIVE)

At one point, Dr Disrespect was among the most viewed and most popular streamers on Twitch. But a sudden and unexplained ban in June 2020 saw Doc removed from his longtime streaming platform.

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The reason for Doc’s permanent ban from Twitch is still unknown, with neither party nor any outside sources giving any indication as to why the former face of Twitch saw an untimely forced departure.

In a statement provided to Shannon Liao in 2020, Twitch vaguely claimed that Dr Disrespect violated either the site’s community guidelines or Terms of Service and remarked on the general applicability of its policies. “As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service,” the platform said. “These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community.”

This was not Dr Disrespect’s first ban. He was previously suspended from Twitch after bringing his camera crew into an E3 bathroom. Doc’s ban also came at a time when a significant number of streamers were being suspended for DMCA violations. But given the severity of Doc’s punishment, it’s unlikely that this was the case for him.

Though Doc saw a successful move to YouTube, the streamer made it clear that his forced transition to a new platform came at a cost. The former game developer said on stream that he was only making a quarter of his previous earnings on Twitch and that the vague nature of his ban led to frayed relations with former sponsors, such as EA and Activision.

On an Aug. 24, 2021 stream, Dr Disrespect revealed that he knew the reason behind his permanent ban and that he intended to sue Twitch for damages to his reputation. “A lot of people ask, ‘do you know the reason?’ I do know the reason why now,” said the former streamer of the year. “I’ve known for months now, the reason why. I’ll just say this right now champs, there’s a reason why we’re suing the fuck out of Twitch.”

While Dr Disrespect made his stance against Twitch public, often referring to the site as “the purple snake,” the livestreaming platform made no acknowledgment of the ongoing situation.

On March 10, 2022, Dr Disrespect announced that his legal dispute with Twitch had come to an end. In his ominous statement, he said “I have resolved my legal dispute with Twitch. No party admits to any wrongdoing.” Now “moving on” from the situation, Doc made it clear that he has no intention of returning to Twitch.

Though the legal battle between Dr Disrespect and Twitch is still as obscure as ever, now that the dispute has been settled, fans may finally get some idea as to why the two feuded in the first place.


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Author
Blaine Polhamus
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. Avid gamer for two decades and gaming writer for three years. I'm a lover of anything Souls-like since 2011. I cover everything from single-player RPGs to MMOs.