Zack Hoyt, who goes by Asmongold and ZackRawrr online, is once again at the center of controversy. The content creator, who gained prominence through streaming world of warcraftHe has mocked Hurricane Katrina survivors and defended the use of certain insults to his audience. Now, Hoyt's recent comments about the ongoing conflict in Gaza have renewed widespread criticism of the creator and caused Twitch to ban his channel.
In the wake of an incendiary livestream on Monday, other creators spoke out against Hoyt's comments about Palestine, while Hoyt's own business partners attested to the dangerous nature of his rhetoric. On Wednesday, Hoyt himself released an apology video to his viewers. But the incident still prompted Twitch to take action. Here's why.
Why was Asmongold suspended from Twitch?
Twitch typically does not confirm the specific reason behind a ban. However, we do know that the streaming platform banned Hoyt's channel the day after a broadcast in which he spoke about the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the Palestinian people. When asked for comment on the ban, a Twitch representative said, “We take enforcement action when there are violations of our community guidelines, including our hateful conduct policy and other rules.”
In his livestream on Monday, Hoyt said of the Palestinian people dying in Gaza: “I don't give a damn. They are terrible people. “It’s not even a question.” In the same rant, he described Palestinians as an “inferior culture.” Online, people called on Twitch to ban the channel. On Tuesday, Hoyt's alternative channel Zackrawrr, where he made the comments, was disabled. At the time of this publication, the channel was still deactivated and sources familiar with the matter reported that Hoyt received a two-week ban. His original channel remains active but he has not used it to broadcast since June 2023.
How did streamers react to Asmongold's comments about Palestine?
At the time of Hoyt's live broadcast, several outlets had reported a finding by UN aid agencies that Israel was threatening to starve northern Gaza. The report came as Israel continued to bomb northern Gaza and Lebanon, an offensive that has killed 40,000 Palestinians in the past 10 months, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Earlier this year, a UN Special Rapporteur said there were “reasonable grounds” to formally label the attack a genocide.
Hoyt's comments sparked a mix of responses. Some referred to the insensitivity of the comments given current events, while others clowned over Hoyt, who is known for broadcasting from an unkempt, trash-covered room.
“The sad thing is that millions of Americans actually believe this about black and brown people outside of the global north,” Daniel Ahmad, a frequent commentator in the gaming space, said on X in response to the video. (Ahmad's comment received more than 9,900 likes.) Another person responded: “'Lower culture' says the guy who doesn't even wipe his butt.”
The nature of the comments inspired even people close to Hoyt to speak out. In addition to streaming, Hoyt is a co-founder of media company One True King (OTK) and PC vendor Starforge Systems. Tips Out, OTK's chief operating officer, responded to Hoyt's comments on Tuesday, speaking as the son of Syrian immigrants about his personal history of experiencing prejudice while growing up in the United States.
For many who heard Zack's comments, the language he used, whether intentional or not, caused the same dehumanization that affected their ancestors, their grandparents, and in some cases, their families today. It is the same language used to justify senseless violence, genocide and the destruction of our universal brotherhood. It is the same language used to dismiss a video of a Palestinian woman and child being burned alive as the “price of war.”
The next day, OTK's official X account announced that Hoyt would be “stepping away from his duties” at OTK and other affiliated companies.
“OTK denounces all forms of discrimination and violence, and that type of behavior cannot be tolerated,” the account said. “We spoke with Zack last night and he is leaving his duties at OTK and our affiliated companies Starforge, Mythic and Mad Mushroom.”
Did Asmongold apologize for the comments?
“I look back at some of the things I've said and done over the last two years, and I don't think I've been wrong about everything that was obviously right, but there have been ways I've communicated and ways I've communicated. I have acted, which are indefensible. “Looking back, it’s just disgusting,” he said.
Some online applauded Hoyt for taking responsibility in his apology, although it's still too early to see what long-term impact this might have on his work, or whether Hoyt will continue to apologize. Within hours of the YouTube message, the streamer followed up with a Reddit post explaining his apology to his viewer base. “I'm not going to change anything other than try to be more positive and less mean,” he wrote, in a statement that also began with the R insult.