PhantomL0rd lawsuit reveals Twitch's secret Strike Guide
Twitch has been criticized quite harshly over the years for doling out inconsistent bans to its streamers, but a recent lawsuit revealed that the streaming platform may have a Strike Guide that it follows when it comes to these decisions.
James “PhantomL0rd” Vargas won his lawsuit against Twitch on April 23. Twitch banned PhantomL0rd in 2016, and the trial’s jury eventually concluded the Amazon-owned company “breached its standard partner contract, acted in bad faith, and committed fraud” when it banned the streamer.
“After nearly five years, I am grateful that a jury of my peers finally held Twitch accountable for its improper tactics against me, including my suspension,” PhantomL0rd wrote.
While some were glad to see PhantomL0rd come out on top, it wasn’t the only interesting outcome of the lawsuit. In a TwitLonger, PhantomL0rd noted that Twitch had a Strike Guide. This is allegedly an “undisclosed list of rules violations.” The trial revealed the Strike Guide, he said, giving it the “scrutiny it deserved.”
What is Twitch’s Strike Guide?
This was a major revelation to a lot of people in the streaming community. Not only is there allegedly a Strike Guide that helps Twitch determine what counts as a rule break and what punishment those rule breaks entail, the trial jury apparently didn’t much agree with it.
“Twitch’s arbitrary and baseless punishment system was found to be improper. Regrettably, Twitch still does not comprehend how inappropriate its punishment system is and asked the court to place the secret ‘Strike Guide’ under seal,” PhantomL0rd said.
PhantomL0rd stated that Twitch’s actions would soon be further revealed and the platform would be forced to treat all streamers fairly. He said that Twitch should evaluate its “illegal punishment system.”
There will be a YouTube broadcast that will go into more details about the lawsuit and its information. Viewers will also be able to ask questions regarding the trial and its outcome.
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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