What happened between xQc and Pokimane? Pro streamers' feud over Kick explored
Felix Lengyel, widely known as xQc, has established himself as a prominent live streamer with a massive following on various social media platforms, including Kick and Twitch. With over 11 million followers on Twitch and 430k followers on Kick, he garnered significant attention when he joined Kick for a lucrative deal of $100 million. On the other hand, Imane Anys, also known as Pokimane, is a popular female Twitch streamer who boasts over 9 million followers on Twitch and maintains a YouTube channel with more than 263k followers.
Let's explore the controversial interactions between xQc and Pokimane regarding xQc's deal with Kick. Delve into the details to understand why these renowned streamers have found themselves under the spotlight of controversy as influential figures.
What happened between xQc and Pokimane?
The emergence of Kick as a popular alternative to Amazon's Twitch platform has gained significant traction since December 2022. Renowned Twitch streamers, including Adin Ross, Trainwreckstv, xQc, and Amouranth, have made the transition from Twitch to Kick, further fueling the ongoing debate between the two platforms and dividing online communities. Within this context, a feud has unfolded between prominent Twitch personalities, xQc and Pokimane, over the past few weeks. The feud commenced in June when it was announced that xQc had signed a lucrative $100 million deal with Kick.
The feud started when Pokimane responding to the xQc’s lucrative deal, found a comment suggesting that Kick was ‘taking over.’ After reading the comment, she said, “Keep doubting Kick. It is already taking over. Fire emoji. Respectfully, people that say stuff like this, you don't understand that Kick makes Twitch money. Like, Kick is using Twitch's services.” When xQc found her comment on Twitch, he said, “Well, I'm confused. This is not how it works...I don't have to be on the defensive here. Brother, Amazon isn't Twitch. When will people get this? There's a massive difference.”
Also, during one of Pokimane’s streams, she was asked by a viewer if she would switch to Kick for a $10 million contract, to which she responded by expressing her unwillingness to compromise her morals and ethics for financial gain. She added that something about the proposition felt personally cringe-worthy to her.
In response to Pokimane's statement, xQc challenged her to provide more specific reasons for her reservations about creating a Kick account, asserting that simply mentioning morals and ethics was insufficient. While Pokimane's concerns partly centered around Kick's association with gambling, which she believed posed risks to viewers and children, some interpreted her remarks as an overarching criticism of the entire Kick platform. Following the unresolved feud between xQc and Pokimane, xQc took to Twitter to express his thoughts. In a tweet, he stated, "Flexing your morals and ethics on other people around you comes from pure insecurity. Nothing else." This tweet indicates that the conflict between the two streamers remains unsettled. Stay tuned for further updates on the ongoing drama.
Flexing your morals and ethics on other people around you comes from pure insecurity. Nothing else.
— xQc (@xQc) June 22, 2023
What did Pokimane’s friend Valkyrae say about the ongoing drama?
Valkyrae, a prominent YouTube streamer, stepped in to support Pokimane by revealing private messages that shed light on Pokimane's reservations about congratulating xQc. In these messages, Pokimane expressed concern due to Valkyrae's opposition to gambling streams. Valkyrae further emphasized that although her organization, 100 Thieves, hosts poker tournaments and she personally enjoys gambling, she deliberately refrains from streaming such content. Her decision stems from the desire to avoid influencing anyone toward potential addiction issues.