Twitch’s biggest streamers come to terms with Logan Paul’s arrival on the platform

YouTube’s most notorious creator, Logan Paul, is jumping on the Fortnite bandwagon and Twitch’s biggest streamers aren’t holding back with their thoughts.

Paul announced yesterday he was joining Twitch, gaining more than 100,000 followers before his first stream. Paul’s interest in Fortnite, alongside his brother Jake, who also recently announced the launch of a gaming operation to get in on Fortnite hype, didn’t go unnoticed by the larger gaming or streaming community. While naysayers were to quick to speak up and protest Paul’s arrival on the platform, pointing to his recent YouTube history as a cause for concern and his latest vlog as evidence that Paul was clickbaiting his way into Fortnite success, other well-known casters tried to find the good.

Summit1g, one of the most popular streamers in the world, tweeted that Paul’s arrival on Twitch might encourage newcomers to watch other channels and participate in Twitch overall.

“I don’t think ppl should be upset at all about Logan Paul on Twitch,” Summit1g said. “The amount of ppl he can bring over from YouTube can only be a good thing for the site and has potential of some of those ppl staying and lurking other channels. Use your business mind on this one dudes.”

KandiVan, a professional H1Z1 player, tweeted similar thoughts. KandiVan argued that it’s an influx of viewers who can help boost the presence of other channels and Twitch’s popularity overall.

“Why is everyone concerned about logan paul coming to twitch,” he tweeted. “Thats a very large influx of new viewers being brought to the platform.”

The overwhelming number of voices, however, declared that Paul’s behavior on YouTube and his frequent punishments there means he shouldn’t be on Twitch. People voiced their concerns over Paul’s audience and growing toxicity coming to Twitch; a platform whose culture has been criticized for its hostility and toxicity. The company recently overhauled its community guidelines with new anti-harassment and anti-toxicity measures to try and build a better environment.

One streamer, dmbrandon, said he feels that “if you’re doing enough to get demonotized on youtube, then we likely don’t have space for you on twitch, which is already becoming pretty rank with offensive memes and harassment.” He added, however, that just because someone almost universally despised announces they’re moving to Twitch, doesn’t mean they should be subjected to harassment.

“Bullying Logan Paul as an affiliate or partner is very much against the Twitch ToS,” he tweeted. “Harassment isn’t and shouldn’t be tolerated. If you have complaints, keep them civil and constructive, or your channel is at risk as well.”

Screenshots of Paul’s channel, which is active despite Paul not streaming at the moment, are quickly being shared to display the toxicity on his channel. His channel’s chat, for example, is full of racist and derogatory terms being used in conjunction with the TriHard emote — an emote often used with racist implications that recently reentered the conversation because of an incident during an Overwatch League match.

Paul is responsible, to an extent, for the behavior of his channel and the corresponding chat, according to Twitch’s new guidelines. The company is asking that Twitch streamers try their best to moderate their audiences’ actions and words in chat in an attempt to clean up hateful, racist and inciting messages. Failure to do so can result in a suspension or indefinite ban.

“Creators are role models and leaders of the communities they create or foster around them,” a blog post reads. “Creators should consider the consequences of their statements and actions of their audiences; we ask that you make a good faith effort to quell any efforts from those in your community to harass others. Twitch should not be used to incite, encourage, promote, facilitate, or organize hateful conduct or harassment, whether on or off Twitch.

“We will suspend communities, organizations, and individuals that do so.”

A cursory glance at Twitter provides insight into how the Twitch community is dealing — or reeling — from the news, but this last message from Twitch partner Slackaholicus sums it up best.

“Ninja and Drake bromance blows up, makes headlines, unites the world,” he tweeted. “Days later, Logan Paul suddenly wants in on Twitch. I’ve seen some obvious bullshit in my life but this isn’t even trying to be subtle.”

Update: Logan Paul amassed just over 190,000 followers in approximately 24 hours without ever streaming once. Paul promises that his first stream “is going to be so lit.”