It has been said everything is political and video games are no exception, but it may surprise some to hear that the act of streaming is also political. Russia's recent attack on Ukraine highlights this by drawing attention to the disruption of many peoples' lives both on and off the internet. One short clip showcasing a Ukrainian Twitch streamer having his Escape from Tarkov stream interrupted by the invasion of his country captures this better than most.
Russia launched its attack on Thursday and claims not to be targeting civilian populations or cities. However, there are reports of explosions within Ukraine's capital city, Kyiv, which may raise questions. This isn't the first time the brewing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has impacted streamers, but it may be one of the most extreme examples of real life crashing headlong into streaming out there.
Bobuubi, a small streamer based out of Ukraine, recently concluded a nine-hour-long Escape from Tarkov stream in a very unexpected manner. He apologized to his friends and fans but stated that he needed to leave his streaming location, pack up, and go find his family. The streamer told fans that he didn't know when he would be able to stream again. Hopefully, he would be able to stream from another location, but in the meantime he still had Discord.
Redditor Wzvi1 shared this ending clip from Bobuubi's stream to a new platform. According to replies from them and other users familiar with Bobuubi's stream, viewers can get a better picture of how badly the attack has derailed the streamer's life. The attack has led to a lot of confusion, including video game footage being mistaken for live-action video of the conflict. Apparently, Bobuubi has been in contact with friends over Discord and is currently all right. His Twitch channel currently features a countdown indicating that his next stream will be on Saturday, February 26 at 9:30 AM PST.
Before signing off, Bobuubi expressed hope that the conflict would stay localized rather than spread to the world. A number of other Redditors expressed hope that he and his family make it through the attack okay. Several users noted his kindness and optimism under immense pressure. Gamers may find it painfully ironic that the streamer got the bad news while playing Escape from Tarkov, a Russian game that revolves around a war set in a fictional city located in Northwestern Russia.