What happeneed to World or Warcraft streamer MethodJosh?
MethodJosh used to be one of the most popular World of Warcraft streamers on Twitch. It’s no wonder the World of Warcraft community has continued to inquire about the streamer, who has all but disappeared in recent months.
Method released Josh from its World of Warcraft roster in the summer of 2020 when a woman came forward to publicly discuss her experience with Josh. In a TwitLonger, the woman named Alex admitted that Josh had sexually harassed her and acted predatory towards her while she was a minor. Alex stated that she was scared of being labeled a liar, but was inspired to share her story when other women started coming forward with their own experiences dealing with popular streamers and gamers.
Alex shared that Josh had contacted her in 2017 when she was just 16 years old. They met through a Discord for discipline priests, and she was already aware that he was “notorious” for “paying particular attention to women,” including privately messaging anyone on the Discord once he “figured out they were female.”
After coming on to her strongly, Alex told Josh that she was only 16. Josh replied with an article about the lower age of consent in Europe, and he continued to message her about World of Warcraft topics. She admitted in the TwitLonger that as a teenager, it felt good to get this kind of attention.
A few months into their interactions, Josh started bringing up sexual topics. He then started asking for revealing photos of Alex. At the time, she obliged due to her desire for attention. She was also “shocked and amazed” that someone from Method had an interest in her. Soon he was only messaging her if it was related to sex. She would sometimes even beg him to talk to her, scared to “upset a celebrity” and lose her interactions with them.
During a phone call, Josh said he wanted to “breed” Alex and “milk” her. She recalls trembling during this conversation. Although embarrassed to share the details of it, Alex said she wanted to put it out there that Josh was talking to a teenager as he said these things.
“I realize now that Josh effectively groomed me and abused my naivety and depression for his own sexual satisfaction. This may sound extremely far-fetched as it was only through online contact. However, I struggle to see a point of view where encouraging sexual pictures and videos from a 16-year-old girl isn’t some form of abuse through lack of experience, knowledge, and self-worth,” Alex recalled.
At the end of the TwitLonger, Alex said it was “utterly disgusting and vile” that Josh was able to represent Method after his actions. She noted that no company outside of esports that would allow his behavior, especially after multiple women have come forward.
My experience with Method Josh.
— Alex (@2Alexmae5) June 24, 2020
Read: https://t.co/8V1xYTQmeo
This is a reference to allegations against Josh in 2019, the year prior. Josh had been banned from Twitch in the summer of 2019 after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct in February. At the time he had 174,000 followers on the streaming platform.
Women come forward with serious allegations against Method Josh
A woman named Caroline told Kotaku in she was Snapchatting with Josh when she was a minor. Josh told her that girls around 15 and 16 are the “perfect age.” He asked to sleep with her multiple times. Caroline admitted that there was a “power dynamic” in place that made her want to please Josh and “see where it goes.”
Another female fan recalls similar interactions with Josh. She met him through Discord, where he took a special interest in her once he found out she was a girl. She recalled him masking sexism and harassment on Discord as being “edgy,” which included calling girls “whores” and joking about raping a drowning girl.
Women in the Discord community decided to tell Method about his behavior. They told the esports organization that Josh was using underage girls for “entertainment” and that he would “harass” women in the Discord. Method replied that the women should submit a police report before they would take action. Method also said to not bring the issues to social media, “where images can be doctored and recollections of the truth twisted.”
Method responds to new allegations against Josh
When Alex called out Method for keeping Josh on their World of Warcraft roster, the organization finally took action. Method’s general manager Shanna “Darrie” Roberts replied to Alex that she was “deeply sorry” about what happened. She then stated that “action is coming,” acknowledging that she knows it’s “too late.”
Later, Method confirmed that Josh was off the squad.
“I can’t take back the pain and betrayal that the women who he abused felt when Method did nothing for a year. My focus now is working with our leadership team to develop policies that are unwavering, and without prejudice towards the perceived ‘value’ of a player,” Darrie wrote.
World of Warcraft star Zach “Asmongold” claimed the investigation was “inconclusive” due to a lack of evidence. Either way, he condemned Method for allowing another player to bring their child to an event while Josh was being investigated for harassing minors. He also declared that Method should have investigated Josh much sooner.
Banned from Twitch and dropped from Method, Josh disappeared from social media soon after.
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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