Lithuanian Twitch streamer Karina "Karupups" Martsinkevich has been hit with a temporary ban from the video streaming site after using blackface while cosplaying as Lifeline from Apex Legends. Karupups donned the blackface in a Just Chatting Twitch stream, where she showed her audience how to apply makeup to look like Lifeline. Twitch was notified of Karupups' blackface and quickly took her stream down.

The Karupups blackface stream, which was only viewed by about 160 viewers according to Kotaku, was enough to get the streamer temporarily banned from the site. For wearing blackface on Twitch, Karupups will not be able to stream for at least 30 days. However, as this situation becomes more widely-known, it is possible that Twitch may impose a stricter ban on the streamer.

One reason why Twitch may want to consider imposing a stricter ban on Karupups is because she has since posted the image of herself in blackface on social media. She also posted a YouTube video explaining her Twitch ban, where she doesn't appear to understand why her choice to use blackface when cosplaying as Lifeline from Apex Legends has been met with such backlash.

"It was just a cosplay, guys. For my favorite Legend from a computer game," she said. "It was just for fun." In the video, Karupups apologizes for using blackface, but then adds, "It was prepared and made for fun." She then goes on to say that she was streaming herself doing the cosplay as a way to show viewers how much time it takes to do cosplay.

On the social media post of the blackface picture, she said, "Thank you for the enormous support. Thank you for not leaving me alone in such a situation. So, guys and girls, what do you think about Cosplay?"

We've seen Twitch seemingly respond to community demands for stricter bans in the past. Perhaps the most famous example was the case of MrDeadMoth, who was banned for committing domestic violence on a Twitch stream. MrDeadMoth then returned to Twitch, causing an uproar that saw his channel quickly banned yet again.

Whether or not Karupups will receive a stricter ban from Twitch remains to be seen. However, her account will be suspended for at least 30 days.

Source: Kotaku