Prominent Twitch streamer Imane Anys, better known to audiences as Pokimane, has been banned from the platform, reportedly after streaming Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender. The streamer is best known for playing games such as League of Legends and Fortnite, but had only returned to streaming in September, following Pokimane's break due to burnout.

Pokimane is one of the most successful female streamers on Twitch, known for her candid and outspoken style. She is a co-founder of OfflineTV, and co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of RTS, an eSports company established late last year. Forbes once named her in its Under 30 list in Games, noting an exclusivity deal she had signed with Twitch.

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Pokimane addressed the abrupt ban with a short message on Twitter, writing “the fire nation attacked.” Her Twitch page is currently down and leads to a blank page with the message “that content is unavailable.” Initial rumors suggested the ban could be the result of a DMCA violation for streaming the copyrighted Nickelodeon material. Pokimane has since revealed that the ban is a temporary suspension, and will last 48 hours.

The ban is an unfortunate start to the new year for the popular streamer, who had an eventful 2021. In December, Pokimane was forced to clarify a joke she made that “all women belong in the kitchen” after being accused of sexism. Rumors were also flying that Pokimane was in a secret relationship, after a mysterious individual named ‘Kevin’ joined her stream, a previously unknown person who appeared to have great chemistry with the streamer. Last year, she also claimed to have turned down multiple offers to leave OfflineTV to join larger gaming organizations.

Streaming copyrighted films and shows is a tricky issue to navigate, though some streamers have been able to get away with it. For example, streamer Felix "xQc" Lengyel has been growing his audience by streaming and reacting to MasterChef. He recently ended up having a Twitter exchange with Gordon Ramsay on the matter. He has also criticized Pokimane for a “rebellious” attitude, though Pokimane complimented xQc’s importance to Twitch in December, labelling him more valuable than famed Fortnite streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins.

Twitch has previously been called out for having an imperfect copyright system. In May 2021, the platform was criticized following a DMCA “ban wave” that affected a number of creators. Twitch responded in July 2021 by announcing adjustments to its three-strikes rule for banning channels, adopting a system similar to YouTube’s 90-day strike rule.

Pokimane has tweeted she will be returning on Monday for a special 12-hour "comeback stream."

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Source: Inven Global