Following the rise of Kick, noteworthyTwitchpersonalities xQc and Pokimane have been in the midst of an internet feud over the past few weeks. Since December 2022, Kick has become a fairly popular alternative to Amazon’s live-streaming platform. Some ofits most notable creators are Adin Ross, Trainwreckstv, and now xQc. With Kick continuing to sign more well-known streaming personalities, the debate over the two platforms has divided much of the internet.The discourse betweenTwitchand Kick isn’t a new topic, though recent developments on both sites have continued to fuel the fire. Kick has attracted a respectable audience due to its emphasis on higher revenue shares for its content creators and looser terms of service, as opposed to Twitch which takes a 50 percent cut. However, some people such as Pokimane and Hasan Piker disagree with other foundations on which Kick was built, and they haven’t been shy about speaking up.RELATED:Nearly Three Years Later, Dr. Disrespect’s Twitch Ban Still Lingers in the Streaming Space
Pokimane Claims Kick is Against Her Morals
The feud between Pokimane and xQc began in June after it was announced thatxQc signed a $100 million dealwith Kick. After being asked by a viewer during a stream if she would switch to Kick for a $10 million contract, Pokimane replied by saying she wouldn’t be willing to compromise her morals and ethics for more money. She then added, “something about that is so cringe to me personally”.
In response to Pokimane, xQc asked why she couldn’t specifically say what was deterring her from making a Kick account. “You have to be more specific”, he said. “you may’t just say morals and ethics”. Pokimane’s comments had to do partly with the gambling aspects that Kick is known for endorsing, which she believes is harmful to viewers and children alike, though some believed she was insulting the entire Kick platform.
On July 3, Trainwreckstv announced that an option to hide content was now available on Kick. This was likely in response to Pokimane and much of thecriticism Kick often received for its gamblingcontent. While this doesn’t entirely solve the issue, it will help those who don’t want to be exposed to it.
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After xQc’s deal, it was announced that Amouranth would also be signing with Kick.Amouranth has been criticizing Twitchfor its unsustainable business model that she says refuses to evolve, so it made sense that she would weigh in on the subject. In her own Kick stream, Amouranth pondered if Twitch was encouraging Pokimane to make anti-Kick statements and suggested that Pokimane was trying to “farm clout and relevancy in an era where she doesn’t really have any”.
Other smaller streamers have come forth with their own opinions, stating that they don’t have as much of an option to decide between the two platformsif Kick is paying more. Twitter user MrARMBARS wrote on July 2, “My first [Kick] payout is about $185. On Twitch this would have been about $98. Yes … that difference means having grocery and gas money for our family or not for an extra week…”
However, Pokimane has stated that she hopes that smaller streamers can make good money “off of whatever’s happening on Kick” but in the end, she would rather make zero dollars and keep her dignity. Still,Pokimane has remained under fire for her comments, which some people think makes her come across as a condescending bully. One Twitter user, MuKitty, brought up that she seemed to be policing her friends, like Valkyrae, on what they were allowed to say about the situation.
Valkyrae, a high-profile streamer on YouTube, jumped in to defend Pokimane, stating that they shared private messages where Pokimane questioned the decision to congratulate xQc because she knows Valkyrae is against gambling streams. Valkyrae went on to mention that while her organization, 100 Thieves, does poker tournaments, and she enjoys gambling, she chooses not to stream that content. Her reasons are that she doesn’t want to influence anyone into becoming addicted.
This ideology spurred another conversation about who and what streamers should be held responsible for. Twitter user ageoffun wrote that they believe streamers should only be responsible for themselves. “If I watch one of these kids playing whatever, and then I go gamble, that’s on me”, they said. “No one gets to rob me of my agency”.
It seems that the debate between Twitch and Kick won’t be petering out anytime soon, even with the adjustments that Kick has been making. The decision to continue givingcontroversial streamers like Adin Rossa platform is still making some people uneasy. Twitch is still the dominant streaming platform as well, as it has a much larger viewership. Perhaps both can coexist peacefully in time, though whether xQc and Pokimane can come to a standstill remains to be seen.
