Pokimane xQc

Pokimane’s Kick comment gets severe backlash, xQc responds

By Fariha Bhatti

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Jun 22, 2023

Reading time: 3 min

Imane “Pokimane” Anys has somehow slid her way into the recent Twitch exodus drama, prompting backlash from fellow streamers after her “moral and ethics” remark.

Kick is recently on a roll, roping in Twitch heavy lifters with million-dollar deals. So far, the top names have been Felix “xQc” Lengyel and Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa, who responded to Pokimane after she insinuated that switching to Kick would mean compromising morals and ethics. Corinna Kopf, FaZe Kaysan, and a broader fan base have also called out the streamer for being “passive aggressive.”

Pokimane Kick drama explained

Twitch streamer Pokimane

The drama began when Pokimane explained why she wouldn’t switch over to Kick no matter how big the paycheck is. She clarified that she wouldn’t compromise her morals for money, calling it “cringe.” This clip of her went viral among her fans and foes, with the latter calling her out for being “self-righteous.”

Her opinion was in regards to xQc switching to Kick after being offered a $100 million deal and creative freedom. The Juicer responded to Pokimane, calling her insecure without directly mentioning her name on Twitter.

“Flexing your morals and ethics on other people around you comes from pure insecurity. Nothing else,” xQc said.

Amouranth has also responded to Poki’s comment, saying that Pokimane is just trying to stay relevant since she’s mostly AFK. The Only Fans influencer clarified that she doesn’t hate Pokimane for it and was simply mentioning the real reason why she made the controversial comment.

That is not all. Fans were also sending hate towards Pokimane for questioning Valkyrae’s tweet congratulating xQc when she had done the same on a live stream. Amid all this, Valkyrae came out in Pokimane’s support, clarifying there’s no beef. The YouTube streamer said that she’s consistent in her opinion, but fans aren’t sold. 

“She knows I’m against streaming gambling and was wondering my stance on why I supported xQc and Kick (which I also explained on stream after the clip). I shouldn’t have even mentioned our private convo, but if anything, it shows her consistency on and off cam,” Valkyrae said.

Pokimane has been tackling the hate and backlash on her alternate Twitter account, standing firm with her earlier statement. The gaming streamer said that people just want something to be mad about, quoting her original stream clip.

“Some people really think they can talk s— and just label it ‘criticism,” she laughed. “Like get a grip and properly express an opinion in its entirety if that’s what you want to do, but clearly that’s not the case 99% of the time.”

The drama is only exacerbating as more gaming personalities chip in with their own takes. The Twitch exodus and morality debate has split the streaming base, with some siding with Pokimane and others calling her a hypocrite for congratulating xQc.

In any case, Pokimane has made clear where she stands in regard to the Kick takeover.