Following the rise of Kick, noteworthy Twitch personalities xQc and Pokimane have been in the midst of an internet feud over the past few weeks. Since December 2022, Kick has become a fairly popular alternative to Amazon's live-streaming platform. Some of its most notable creators are Adin Ross, Trainwreckstv, and now xQc. With Kick continuing to sign more well-known streaming personalities, the debate over the two platforms has divided much of the internet.The discourse between Twitch and Kick isn't a new topic, though recent developments on both sites have continued to fuel the fire. Kick has attracted a respectable audience due to its emphasis on higher revenue shares for its content creators and looser terms of service, as opposed to Twitch which takes a 50 percent cut. However, some people such as Pokimane and Hasan Piker disagree with other foundations on which Kick was built, and they haven't been shy about speaking up.
Pokimane Claims Kick is Against Her Morals
The feud between Pokimane and xQc began in June after it was announced that xQc signed a $100 million deal with Kick. After being asked by a viewer during a stream if she would switch to Kick for a $10 million contract, Pokimane replied by saying she wouldn't be willing to compromise her morals and ethics for more money. She then added, "something about that is so cringe to me personally".
In response to Pokimane, xQc asked why she couldn't specifically say what was deterring her from making a Kick account. "You have to be more specific", he said. "You can't just say morals and ethics". Pokimane's comments had to do partly with the gambling aspects that Kick is known for endorsing, which she believes is harmful to viewers and children alike, though some believed she was insulting the entire Kick platform.
As a counterpoint to the above tweet, YouTuber and Twitch streamer MoistCr1TiKaL brought up that Pokimane streams on Twitch, which is owned by Amazon. On June 22, he wrote, "why is it morally OK to directly convert your audience to Amazon Prime subscribers for Twitch viewing benefits". He added that "Amazon is also an evil company with countless human rights violations and exploitation" which he thinks weakens Pokimane's argument for maintaining her morals and ethics.
On July 3, Trainwreckstv announced that an option to hide content was now available on Kick. This was likely in response to Pokimane and much of the criticism Kick often received for its gambling content. While this doesn't entirely solve the issue, it will help those who don't want to be exposed to it.
After xQc's deal, it was announced that Amouranth would also be signing with Kick. Amouranth has been criticizing Twitch for its unsustainable business model that she says refuses to evolve, so it made sense that she would weigh in on the subject. In her own Kick stream, Amouranth pondered if Twitch was encouraging Pokimane to make anti-Kick statements and suggested that Pokimane was trying to "farm clout and relevancy in an era where she doesn't really have any".
Other smaller streamers have come forth with their own opinions, stating that they don't have as much of an option to decide between the two platforms if Kick is paying more. Twitter user MrARMBARS wrote on July 2, "My first [Kick] payout is about $185. On Twitch this would have been about $98. Yes ... that difference means having grocery and gas money for our family or not for an extra week..."
However, Pokimane has stated that she hopes that smaller streamers can make good money "off of whatever's happening on Kick" but in the end, she would rather make zero dollars and keep her dignity. Still, Pokimane has remained under fire for her comments, which some people think makes her come across as a condescending bully. One Twitter user, MuKitty, brought up that she seemed to be policing her friends, like Valkyrae, on what they were allowed to say about the situation.
Valkyrae, a high-profile streamer on YouTube, jumped in to defend Pokimane, stating that they shared private messages where Pokimane questioned the decision to congratulate xQc because she knows Valkyrae is against gambling streams. Valkyrae went on to mention that while her organization, 100 Thieves, does poker tournaments, and she enjoys gambling, she chooses not to stream that content. Her reasons are that she doesn't want to influence anyone into becoming addicted.
This ideology spurred another conversation about who and what streamers should be held responsible for. Twitter user ageoffun wrote that they believe streamers should only be responsible for themselves. "If I watch one of these kids playing whatever, and then I go gamble, that's on me", they said. "No one gets to rob me of my agency".
It seems that the debate between Twitch and Kick won't be petering out anytime soon, even with the adjustments that Kick has been making. The decision to continue giving controversial streamers like Adin Ross a platform is still making some people uneasy. Twitch is still the dominant streaming platform as well, as it has a much larger viewership. Perhaps both can coexist peacefully in time, though whether xQc and Pokimane can come to a standstill remains to be seen.