Yahoo Finance Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
Twitch bans the PogChamp emote following Capitol Hill riots
It says the face behind the emote encouraged further violence.
Twitch has banned the popular PogChamp emote after the face of it, Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez, encouraged further violence. “We’ve made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote following statements from the face of the emote encouraging further violence after what took place in the Capitol today,” Twitch tweeted. “We want the sentiment and use of Pog to live on — its meaning is much bigger than the person depicted or image itself — and it has a big place in Twitch culture. However, we can’t in good conscience continue to enable use of the image.”
Gutierrez, a Street Fighter player who became the literal face of the PogChamp emote, published tweets apparently demanding “civil unrest” following the death of a women in the Capitol yesterday. Last night, pro-Trump individuals stormed the Capitol building, causing members of Congress and the Senate to evacuate and delaying the certification of President-elect Joe Biden.
PogChamp is one of the more popular emotes on Twitch, used by viewers to express excitement in livestream chats. Ahead of Twitch’s actions, popular streams banned the emote retroactively from their private streams. Twitch said it will work with the community to create a new emote.
