Twitch Removes ‘Pogchamp’ Emote Following Gootecks ​​Tweets

Twitch has announced that it will be removing the popular “PogChamp” emote from its service following a tweet from Ryan ‘Gootecks’ Gutierrez, on which the emote is based, which “encouraged further violence” as a result of today’s insurgency on Capitol Hill. legislative confirmation of electoral votes for Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election, supporters of President Trump rushed in and briefly occupied the Capitol building, forcing Senators and House legislatures to barricade themselves or to leave the premises for safety reasons.

During these events, Gutierrez tweeted a statement about the events on Capitol Hill that appeared to call for further violence during the takeover.

The ‘PogChamp’ emote

“Will there be civil unrest for the woman who was executed inside the Capitol today or will the #MAGAMartyr die in vain?” Gutierrez tweeted.

In a statement to IGN from a Twitch spokesperson, the company announced, “We have made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote following statements from the face of the emote encouraging further violence after what happened. spent today at the Capitol. “

The company added, “We want the feeling and use of Pog to endure – its significance is much greater than the person depicted or the image itself – and it has a big place in Twitch culture. we cannot in good conscience continue to allow use of the image. We will work with the community to design a new emote for the high profile moments on Twitch. “

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We made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote following statements from the emote’s face encouraging further violence after what happened in the Capitol today.

– Twitch (@Twitch) January 7, 2021

Gutierrez is a Street Fighter player whose surprised facial reaction became the basis of the “PogChamp” Twitch emote. It’s a popular emote often used by commentators when surprising moments happen while streaming, especially in fighting games.

Responses to Gutierrez’s tweet from commentators condemned his statement as callous and commenters questioned whether Twitch would remove the “ PogChamp ” emote in light of the tweet and Twitch agreed to do so. Popular streamers have already moved before Twitch to ban the emote from their own private streaming channels.

Twitch says it will work with the community to create a new emote, but hasn’t revealed what that process will involve.

Matt TM Kim is a reporter for IGN.