Valorant pro Zellsis banned on Twitch, and here's why

Olivia Richman Published 17/08/2022

Valorant pro Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro has been banned from Twitch after claims that he used a hateful slur.

Zellsis is a popular player on Sentinels, known for his skilled gameplay and for his large following on Twitch. He currently has around 135,000 followers on the streaming platform, where he is known for his sarcasm and blunt personality. But it seems that his outspokenness has gotten him into trouble with Twitch, leading to a ban on August 17.

Why was Zellsis banned on Twitch?

Zellsis was recently verified on Twitch but it seems he is already causing some trouble on the streaming site. According to esports insider Jake Lucky, Zellsis said he was banned for using a homophobic slur. Zellsis claims that he was actually saying “f— it,” as opposed to a similar sounding slur that might have gotten him banned.

Twitch’s automated system may be confusing the phrase Zellsis claims to have spoken with an apparent slur, which could explain the sudden ban.

https://twitter.com/JakeSucky/status/1560028338978099200?s=20&t=8tHYAMpxX-pqX0dLcEhkDQ

The Twitch ban was initially a surprise to Zellsis, who replied to the news by stating “what the f—” on Twitter. In response to the ban, #FreeZellsis began trending on the social media platform, as fans of the Valorant player were clearly not agreeing with Twitch’s decision.

Fans also wondered if Zellsis was banned for watching Tokyo Ghoul on stream, leading to a potential copyright issue. Others even speculated that it was because Zellsis was shirtless, which may be against Twitch’s Terms of Service.

But Zellsis later confirmed that the ban was indeed for a “hateful slur or symbol,” which he said stems from Twitch confusing his saying “f— it” for a homophobic slur.

https://twitter.com/Zellsis/status/1560040529689296898?s=20&t=O7v4VyZkRFZIOKV5WWadnQ

Other gamers responded that this has happened before to other streamers.

https://twitter.com/OlibiasTV/status/1560034389878267906?s=20&t=8tHYAMpxX-pqX0dLcEhkDQ

It’s currently unclear when Zellsis will be back on Twitch. Meanwhile, #FreeZellsis is still trending on Twitter. While it’s possible Twitch made a mistake, Zellsis is no stranger to making controversial comments. He was suspended by Riot last year for making offensive comments aimed at a tournament official.

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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