MLG banned from Twitch after hackers take over channel

Major League Gaming has been banned from Twitch after an apparent hacking incident.

On February 22, the longtime tournament organizer’s Twitch account began broadcasting adult content in violation of Twitch’s rules. MLG’s MLG Bravo channel was also banned for the same infraction.

In all likelihood, the ban stems from the tournament organizer’s accounts being compromised and commandeered by a troll. Neither MLG nor Twitch have offered up an official statement on the matter as of this writing.

Big Twitch streams taken over by hackers

This is far from the first time where a prominent Twitch account has been hacked. The most notable example of this came in 2019 when popular streamer Dr. Disrespect saw his Twitch and Twitter accounts simultaneously hacked. His Twitch account was repurposed to advertise a Discord server while his Twitter account released a handful of inappropriate posts, particularly regarding the mother of streaming rival and Fortnite star Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.

Alongside this, broadcasting pornographic or otherwise inappropriate content has been a steady problem on Twitch.

Last year, there was a major incident involving several trolls simultaneously broadcasting adult or violent content under the category for Artifact, the wildly unpopular Dota 2 card game spin-off. Tens of thousands of users happened across content ranging from pornography to recordings of mass shootings, an issue that saw Twitch initiate legal action against those responsible.

After this, controversy surrounding Twitch’s repurposing of Ninja’s defunct channel came to a head when it was used to promote another channel broadcasting pornographic content. Twitch eventually apologized for it and banned the channel that was violating the rules.

Historically speaking, MLG should have little trouble getting back online. MLG enjoyed a long stretch as one of North America’s top tournament organizers, hosting events for titles ranging from Super Smash Bros. Melee and Halo to Call of Duty and Dota 2.

Though Twitch tends to be indifferent to the woes of unknown streamers, the platform tends to be responsive when larger names encounter these sorts of issues. Expect MLG’s Twitch channels to be back online before long.