In 2020, the online multiplayer game Among Us experienced a surge in popularity, nearly two years after its release. With a large portion of the population staying inside or working from home due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Innersloth’s cross-platform social deduction game has been a way for people to get together and have some laughs.

According to a study by SuperData, half a billion people played Among Us in November, and many of those players are live streamers. Popular content creators from streaming services like Twitch and YouTube have teamed up to play the game in front of thousands of viewers. Often these streams include celebrities, like when Lil Nas X joined Pokimane, Valkyrae, and others to play the game in December.

RELATED: Twitch Streamer Pokimane Rejects 'Boyfriend Resume' Over Falls Guys Record

Usually these streams are popular. However, they are occasionally on the receiving end of negativity and backlash. Such was the reaction to Pokimane’s announcement that TikTok star Addison Rae would be joining James Charles, Dream, Corpse Husband and other content creators for an Among Us stream on December 29. Viewers were not shy about voicing their criticism over the choice to include the controversial TikToker.

“I log on to find out Addison Rae is playing with Corpse??” said one Twitter user. “Logging back off.” Others were equally as blatant in expressing their dislike of the TikTok creator, with one viewer commenting, “When I saw Addison Rae… my smile kinda dropped. This better not become common.” Others questioned why a polemic personality like Addison Rae had been selected for the stream over other popular Twitch creators like Sykkuno.

Regardless of the negative feedback, the Among Us stream went off as planned, although Twitch streamers Dream and Quackity decided to limit their chats to emote-only mode due to the toxicity. Despite this, the players seemed to have a good time, including Addison Rae, who afterward tweeted a thank you for the invitation and said she “had so much fun.”

Addison Rae isn’t known for her gaming content, and that might have led to some of the backlash. However, YouTube beauty guru James Charles was also part of the Among Us stream and did not seem to experience the same negative feedback.

It’s more likely that the controversy surrounding Addison Rae’s inclusion in the Among Us stream stems from questionable comments she has made in the past. Earlier this year, the TikTok star issued a video apology after coming under fire for calling the Black Lives Matter movement a "cult." Addison Rae has also been accused of goading fellow TikTok star Kio Cyr to “say the N word” during a live stream, an allegation that she denies.

Among Us is available for Mobile, PC, Switch, and will be released for Xbox One and Xbox Series X 2021.

MORE: The 10 Best Multiplayer Games of 2020

Source: Dexerto