Twitch reverses controversial ban on Overwatch streamer

Olivia Richman Published 17/02/2019

Popular Overwatch streamer Fareeha Andersen is already back on Twitch after causing some controversy that the streaming service labeled as “hate speech.”

Twitch had initially banned Fareeha’s account for 30 days after she called South American Overwatch players “shit” during a February 7 stream. After a public outcry and an ensuing apology by Fareeha, Twitch lessened the length of the ban, allowing her back on the platform after just seven days.

While most following the news seemed to feel the ban was overly harsh, there were also people within the streaming community that felt the initial 30-day ban was justified, noting that popular streamers who have a larger audience should strive to be positive influences.

After initially receiving the ban for “engaging in hateful conduct against a person or group of people,” Fareeha took to Twitter to apologize for “fucking up.”

The Overwatch streamer went on to say that she understood what it feels like to be “cast aside under generalizations and assumptions” as a minority herself.

The controversial comment was made by Fareeha as a joke during a facetious pep talk, she explained, when her North American teammates kept complaining about the South American servers having horrible ping. She explained that she meant no hate towards South Americans, and was more commenting on how South America is “less cutthroat” when it comes to competitive gaming due to having less of a player base and not as much support for esports.

The clip of Fareeha calling South American players “shit” went viral almost immediately, and Fareeha was bombarded with hateful and sexist comments in response. Fareeha responded in kind, leading some to brand her with the “toxic” label.

In a Twitlong, Fareeha opened up about “mental shit” she has been going through, which seemed to become worse for her with “all this added pressure and extra eyeballs.” She noted that she has been putting a lot of work into becoming more aware of her behavior and was willing to own up to her mistakes.

Though her 30-day ban was lifted, it’s still unclear if the accompanying strike was removed from her Twitch account.

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.

View full profile

Read Also

Overwatch

Is Overwatch Dying In 2026? Zachary Roberts Is Overwatch dying? This is the sort of question that gets posed to all live-service games at one point or another. Because they require active servers and constant attention from developers, there has to be enough of a market to continue funnelling resources into the games. So, if a game isn't growing, or worse, if it's dying, it is bad news for everyone involved. If no one's playing, then the ...

Kick

Here’s a Rundown of the Major New Features and Improvements on Kick in August 2026 Khizar Mundia Kick Director Ethan Wright has shared several new features that were introduced on the platform in August, also revealing that the team will continue to “push out great updates after great updates”. Livestreaming platform Kick is serious about introducing new features and making changes to improve the experience for both streamers and viewers. The Kick GO Live mobile app may be the standout addition the livestreaming platform has made in ...

Twitch

xQc Talks Subathons and Reveals Why He Avoids Them Khizar Mundia Félix “xQc” Lengyel is a major force in the streaming world, with his earnings being among the highest in the industry. However, despite this success, xQc has never done subathons — and the Kick streamer has revealed his reasons. Subathons have become an important element in the streaming world, as they are both engaging for viewers and beneficial for creators. Kai Cenat is arguably the most famous streamer who made ...

News

Here Is Every Major Announcement at Sony’s September State of Play Zachary Roberts The latest Sony State of Play was on September 3 at 9 am ET, and as usual, plenty of interesting games were announced and shown off. These, like a Nintendo Direct or Xbox Showcase, always end up being one of the most exciting times of the year for gamers. PlayStation often has great exclusives, so it's always worth seeing what they're working on. Interestingly enough, the first showcase wasn't game-related. ...

Kick

Kick Joins GTA RP Trend — Here’s What Partnership With Prodigy Entails Khizar Mundia The GTA RP community has been consistently growing, and Kick has just partnered with Prodigy, which displays the livestreaming platform’s interest in the scene. Here’s information about the partnership and why Kick may have entered the GTA RP scene right now. Kick has been trying to expand its esports base for some time, and its recent partnership with Riot Games has created ample opportunity for the platform. However, gaming remains ...

Slots

True Labs Set To Change Direction With New CEO Ben Boland True Labs started life as an experimental crypto casino in 2018 within the True Flip Group and has since evolved into an independent entity, boasting more than 40 crypto casino games and a network of supporting partners. Its evolution is set to continue with the appointment of a new CEO on September 1, 2026, with Sergey Glamazda confirmed as the Malta-based company’s new chief executive. Before joining True Labs, Glamazda ...

GTA

Rockstar Backs NoPixel V — What GTA 6 Means for GTA RP Khizar Mundia GTA 6 is about to release, and Rockstar has decided that it is the optimal time to announce that its collaborative GTA RP, NoPixel V, is about to enter closed beta. Roleplaying has been a major element in GTA, with several gaming streamers building their entire brand and community around it. NoPixel Studios is one of the most famous names in GTA RP, and NoPixel V is the newest version, ...