Valkyrae threatens to shut down OTV Rust server over griefing issues

Chaos makes for great content, but Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter is taking responsibility for the griefing drama in the OfflineTV Rust server and laying out consequences if it continues.

Rust is a survival multiplayer game and, as such, prone to PvP (Player-versus-Player) shenanigans — especially when OfflineTV partners with over 50 high-profile streamers in a dedicated server. While Valkyrae claims to have personally enjoyed those antics, she recognizes that things may have gone too far following drama with Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel’s introduction to the OTV server.

With xQc (and his notorious chat) stirring up the pot and unnerving fellow streamers, Rae has spoken out and taken ownership for continuing to invite potentially antagonistic creators to the exclusive server. 

In a two-pronged tweet, 2020’s “Content Creator of the Year” let it be known that she will be much more careful about invitations moving forward. And, should the untoward behavior continue, she will consider shutting down or resetting OfflineTV’s Rust server.

https://twitter.com/Valkyrae/status/1344665316643618816

“The drama, people suing me. I’m on TV talking like it’s just you and me.” Like the lyrics to Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” drama can ensue when one treats the public realm like a private interaction. While Valkyrae has personally enjoyed the beef and spice in her server, she realizes that, as its invitees grow, she needs to take some public ownership and rein in the…juice.

• Read more: xQc apologizes for OfflineTV Rust drama

Most prominently, that juice turned sour when xQc lashed out at a relatively smaller streamer, ‘Ash_on_lol,’ who then clapped back with an even more profanity-laden response. A few f-bombs and a request for xQc to not be “a f**king piece of s**t” later and Ash reportedly received death threats from the Quebecois streamer’s passionate fans.

That consequence was seemingly unexpected and prompted an apology from xQc, in which he promised to no longer treat people in the server, particularly non-PvP creators, so poorly. And, while Valkyrae took no personal issue with his behavior (as indicated by her response to his tweet), she later decided it was time to nip the drama in the bud.

As Valkyrae indicates in her different responses, she doesn’t find the killing to be “rude” and agrees that “the chaos has been fun.” But she recognizes that other perspectives matter, especially because she’s the one who “wanted to invite more.”

As such, Rae has apologized to her “friends who didn’t enjoy playing” and threatened to take action if people continue to misbehave. 

• Read more: Shroud explains why he’d kick xQc from OTV Rust server

Based on other replies in her Twitter thread, it appears that a full reset or shutdown of the server isn’t on the horizon just yet though. Instead, the group is looking to establish a PvP open world with dedicated safe areas for those not feeling quite as spicy.