Over the weekend, dozens of women have levied sexual abuse and assault allegations against a wide variety of video game personalities. These personalities include Twitch streamers, YouTubers, and even personnel in the video game industry. This article has explicit references to topics such as sexual assault and grooming, so reader discretion is advised.
The deluge of allegations appears to have started in the Destiny game community when a Twitter user known as @MindOfSnaps posted her experiences with partnered Twitch streamer and podcaster SayNoToRage. In it, she describes him being uncomfortably physical with her, repeatedly leaning into her on the bus, and saying that he gets "liberated...sexually" when he's high or drunk. This allegation has resulted in many others opening up about their own experiences with problematic people.
These allegations cover a wide base of video gaming personalities. Cryaotic admitted in a video that he cheated on his girlfriend by grooming underage fans (he claims he didn't know their age and the relationships were purely online.) AngryJoe has been accused of using his fame to try and coerce someone into sex and has claimed the accuser is lying. All of these accusations and more have been compiled in a Reddit post linked at the bottom of this article.
It's not just streamers and YouTubers who are facing accusations. Omeed Dariani, the CEO of content creator management company Online Performers Group (OPG,) has also been accused of manipulating young women trying to break into the video game industry to get them to have sex with him. In response, Omeed has stepped down as CEO and over a dozen Twitch streamers and YouTubers, including names such as Dodger, her husband Strippin, and CohhCarnage, are leaving OPG. Meanwhile, Twitch and it's CEO Emmett Shear, who spoke recently about the role of the Twitch Safety Advisory Council, are also under fire for not taking such accusations seriously and dismissing them.
Abuse in the video game/streamer/YouTube industry is a problem that has been brought up multiple times over the years. This wave of allegations is similar to the ones that were levied against Alec Holowka and other gaming personalities last September. Whenever one person opens up about their experiences with abuse, many more often find the courage they need to speak up as well.
Source: Reddit