Dr Disrespect slams game developers over “racist” livestream chats

Michael Gwilliam
Dr Disrespect on Twitch

Legendary Twitch streamer Dr Disrespect used his platform to call out video game publishers and developers for not moderating their chats during large events and allowing racist comments to go unfiltered.

During a June 4 broadcast, the Two-Time took a moment to talk about racial injustices and pivoted to the topic of large companies such as Sony and Microsoft not doing enough to combat racism on YouTube, Twitch, and Twitter.

Doc explained that while he did want to talk about certain communities and toxic behavior, it ultimately came down to the decisions of certain streamers, but when it came to larger companies, actions needed to be taken.

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“I’m speaking specifically to huge video gaming launches or reveals or press conferences or conventions,” he noted, specifically naming Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation reveals. “Their chats are not moderated. I go there as a spectator, it’s f**king a distraction to see the amount of racism that happens within a chat that is unmoderated.”

The Twitch star didn’t hold back, demanding that publishers and developers “step up” and deal with the racism in their chats.

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“If you’re going to go live on YouTube or Twitch or whatever it is, get a f**king hold of your chat. Cause it’s out of control!” he exclaimed. “First off, it’s just bad. It’s just like ‘why’. We know it’s hard to regulate that sh*t. I get it, but we have to come up with some different solutions.”

He then added some advice to companies if they weren’t going to take measures to control their chats during broadcasts.

“At this point don’t do a live event if you’re not going to moderate,” he urged. “Come out with this pre-produced video, put it on your YouTube channel, turn off comments, and there you go. Tweet it out, turn off replies on your Twitter.”

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According to Doc, until these companies can create a community that doesn’t put up with racism, such as his Champions Club, disabling comments is the best option.

“I thought about that over the weekend and I had to say that. I had to get that off my mind,” he explained. “I, as a fan, want to see what the hell Sony is going to talk about. What the hell we’re going to see at the E3 event… I’m there to watch video games. Get a grip of it. That’s all I ask.”

While he is outspoken against racism, Dr Disrespect is also putting his money where his mouth is. He announced that all of his June donations will be going towards charities, a monumental effort from one of the biggest streamers in the world.

About The Author

Michael Gwilliam is a senior writer at Dexerto based in Ontario, Canada. He specializes in Overwatch, Smash, influencers, and Twitch culture. Gwilliam has written for sites across Canada including the Toronto Sun. You can contact him at michael.gwilliam@dexerto.com or on Twitter @TheGwilliam