Overwatch streamer Dafran quits streaming for a very strange reason

Olivia Richman Published 02/06/2020

Former Overwatch League player Daniel “Dafran” Francesca retired from Atlanta Reign not once, but twice, to pursue streaming full time. Now, it looks like he may be leaving streaming as well.

Dafran remained quite popular on Twitch while streaming Overwatch, but was becoming even more of a household name during Valorant’s closed beta. He saw upwards of 10,000 viewers a day, although some fans seemed to show up just to beg him to play Overwatch again instead.

Dafran refused, saying that Valorant is fun and that his channel was going to be a “Valorant stream for a long time.”

But on the day of Valorant’s release, Dafran has now announced that he’s taking a break from full-time streaming altogether. Why?

Apparently, it’s to grow fruits and vegetables.

The new chapter!

Read: https://t.co/MkySQWsRH0
— dafran (@dafran) June 2, 2020

“It is time for a new chapter in my life. I am going to be starting on an education that has to do with growing fruits and vegetables,” Dafran said in a TwitLonger.

Dafran explained that he was pursuing this passion because he wants to do what makes him happy, since he only has one life to live. He said he would stream for fun in the future, but it would be “very rarely.”

Many fans are speculating the validity of this sudden and jarring change in career paths. Dafran is known for being a troll, but his followers and friends began to congratulate him on his decision either way. This was an interest Dafran also expressed during his stream.

LET’S GROW DUDE
— Fareeha (@AskFareeha) June 2, 2020

Dafran’s changing opinion on Valorant

Another opinion Dafran expressed on stream was how “shit” Valorant’s ranking system was. On a May 28 stream, Dafran explained how easy it was to reach the top rank of Valorant.

“I reached the highest rank. So why even play?” Dafran asked while switching over and playing Overwatch. “What do you do after reaching Valorant? Nothing.”

Despite once saying that he was playing Valorant over Overwatch because of how “fun” it is, he went on to mock Riot Games for believing that competitive players would play Valorant “just for fun.”

“Nobody is going to play your fucking game if you can’t climb higher than Valorant. Everybody can reach Valorant. It’s not that hard,” Dafran ranted, saying there should be a separate top 500.

Dafran could be sporting this new negative attitude towards Valorant because the streamer was recently banned forever from Valorant tournaments organized by Solary, a French esports organization.

pic.twitter.com/kShkdUSiqz
— Solary (@SolaryTV) May 16, 2020

According to Solary, the lifetime ban was warranted due to Dafran’s “disrespectful remarks.” In response to his outbursts, they felt it necesary to ban him from all future competitions.

Dafran responded by telling Solary organizers to “Suck my ball sack.” He was soon banned from Twitch as well, but that suspension lasted only for seven days.

It’s possible that Dafran’s decision to become a farmer of sorts is actually true, something he chose as a way to get away from the toxicity of competitive gaming. Maybe it’s a way to cope with being permabanned from Solary’s tournaments. Or maybe he really is just trolling, again.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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