About three weeks have passed since Twitch suddenly and unexpectedly banned streaming giant Dr. Disrespect, and the situation remains mysterious to say the least. Fans demanding a concrete answer to Doc’s removal from the platform are still trying to piece together rumors, statements, and speculation in the hopes of weaving a narrative. The dust might have settled somewhat since the ban in late June, but for fans, this comes across as cause for concern. If the reason for the ban hasn’t been made public by now, will it remain a secret forever?
Fans are justified in their concern when one considers how uncertain Dr. Disrespect’s career prospects are now and how serious the reason for the ban might be. No reliable news has come out about what he’ll do now. As far as anyone knows, he has no next step in progress. However, some rumors claim that Doc has much more serious matters to attend to, and that fans are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
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Youtube and Future Platforms
The most recent rumor about Doc’s plans technically came from Doc himself. Like many in his field, Dr. Disrespect used to have a link to his Twitch channel in his Twitter bio, but watchful followers noticed that the link has been replaced with that of his YouTube channel. YouTube has grown as a platform for live streaming in the last few years, so the change resulted in a rumor that he was planning to move his career to YouTube.
That theory was dispelled as quickly as it came. Gaming industry insider Rod “Slasher” Breslau stated that the YouTube move theory was incorrect. Furthermore, Breslau gave some insight on YouTube’s feelings about its progress collecting streamers like Ninja. It seems YouTube is pleased with who it has right now, and would probably be disinclined to pick up a streamer in mysterious circumstances. Dr. Disrespect’s YouTube channel remains silent, his last video posted the day before the ban.
Like any leaker, Breslau could be wrong, fed misinformation or working off an incomplete picture. Until proven wrong, however, he is an important source for sorting out Dr. Disrespect’s status. Maybe he isn’t destined for streaming on YouTube and simply changed the link on his profile to show that his departure from Twitch is final, directing fans to what content he can until he gets back on his feet. Still, that doesn’t clear up the reason for the ban, which is the most important element in the mystery. Whatever could have resulted in a permanent ban will follow Doc, whether it becomes public knowledge or remains private.
The Cause and Consequences
There is the distinct possibility that Dr. Disrespect still hopes to get picked up by a platform like YouTube to continue his career, even if YouTube itself isn’t considering him right now. The issue is that any company that floats a contract with him will want to know what he got banned for, and probably has the means to find out. Neither Twitch nor the streamer have revealed the exact reason for the ban, which is where Breslau comes in again. He claims that Dr. Disrespect’s ban not only has nothing to do with a platform move, but that “severe criminal elements” were involved, although Breslau is refraining from sharing specifics for now.
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That kind of rumor is, of course, a fan’s worst nightmare. Once again, Breslau could be wrong, but it is cause for concern that Dr. Disrespect has made no statement in self defense after such an alarming claim. The silence after the claim and in the last few weeks in general might mean Doc is not in a legal position to comment on his situation.
The rumor could also explain why Youtube is not considering Dr. Disrespect for their platform. YouTube and any company like it would be loath to attach itself to a person that could land them in controversy. Fans are already responding to the situation too. Although they have been left in the dark, GIFs of Dr. Disrespect are being removed from places like GIPHY by users, indicating a lack of faith.
A serious criminal infraction on Dr. Disrespect’s part would mean that a move to YouTube or another streaming platform would be impossible for the foreseeable future until theoretical legal consequences take place. It would also mean that a lot of fans will likely leave him behind – in fact, some might have left him behind already, taking Breslau’s word at face value. The longer this situation remains a mystery, the harder it is to say what Dr. Disrespect’s career will look like from here on out.
The Resulting Silence
As of this writing, Dr. Disrespect’s official Twitter is still up. He may not be on Twitch anymore, but he hasn’t been severed from the Internet completely if he or someone he knows can update his bio. He still has the perfect platform to come out and make another statement, although facing punishment for crimes would surely mean Doc himself can’t speak out. If the reason is as serious as Breslau claims, Dr. Disrespect can’t maintain a social media presence, but there’s evidence that someone can use his Twitter account.
If the silence isn’t for legal reasons, it could still be an attempt to protect his reputation. Many fans have returned to the ending of Dr. Disrespect’s last Twitch stream in their investigations. After appearing to check his phone, his mood became heavy, leading many to believe he was warned about the ban before it happened. If so, he could know more than he has let on, but is choosing not to make the information public. Even so, someone like Breslau might reveal what’s happening without Doc’s permission.
Dr. Disrespect is known for his confidence and force of personality. This kind of drawn out silence is completely uncharacteristic of the streamer that the Twitch fanbase is familiar with. Such a drastic change is hard to explain, outside of it indicating that the situation is probably much more complicated than the public knows. Doc’s channels of communication are at least partially open so long as his social accounts stay up. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before Dr. Disrespect or someone connected to him comes forward with an update or a comment on “Slasher” Breslau’s claims and helps the community figure out where this all began.
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