A content creator from Destiny 2 is currently facing a ban from Bungie that threatens his career and reputation. Now, more and more fellow streamers are taking his side because they believe in his innocence and are calling for a reevaluation of the decision as well as the restoration of his reputation.
What ban in Destiny 2 is being discussed? Recently, there was a secret meeting at Bungie to which various content creators were invited, including the well-known Twitch streamer and YouTuber “Ekuegan”.
He is mainly known for his carries of other players through tough PvE content, such as the Nightfall Strikes, and has already spent over 14,000 hours playing Destiny 2.
After the aforementioned meeting, however, extensive information about the upcoming Season 21 leaked through various and also rather blurry screenshots on a Discord server, prompting Bungie to investigate.
After a public warning on Twitter regarding strict compliance with NDA confidentiality clauses and the reminder that this is a breach of trust by developers, Bungie ultimately held “Ekuegan” responsible for these leaks.
A soft ban was imposed on him, banning him from further Bungie meetings and citing a blurred taskbar on the leaked photos and desktop icons as the reason.
However, the affected streamer insists despite the evidence provided that he is innocent. He claims he was set up.
I just know that [Bungie] made a big mistake and I will clear my name.
announced Ekuegan today via Twitter
Friends and streamer colleagues consider his ban unjustified
It’s about good reputation and a lot of income: After the ban became known through an article by Paul Tassi, friends and well-known streamer colleagues of Ekuegan have now also spoken out.
They are publicly taking his side now with the hashtag #FreeEkuegan, speaking of an unjustified ban and lamenting the lack of transparency in the decision.
Well-known Destiny 2 content creator Gladd writes: “I have always found Ekuegan to be friendly to me and the community. He is a support. I trust him; take that for what it’s worth. At least Bungie needs to take a closer look at this.”
MegsOnTwitch also comments on the situation and says if he were guilty, he wouldn’t lie to us, his friends and colleagues.
Ekuegan was close to tears when I spoke to him about it earlier. You could literally hear the pain and frustration he feels about it in his voice. If he were guilty, he wouldn’t go so far as to lie to close friends. I hope the truth will come to light. […] If enough of us, who believe he didn’t do it, speak up, maybe [Bungie] will notice and take a second look at all the pieces.
posted Megs via Twitter
Is this justice or favoritism? While the support from the streamer community gives Ekuegan hope, there are also critics. Destiny 2 players are talking about favoritism.
It is complained that the streamer colleagues of the banned creator simply believe him without knowing the facts. They see the solidarity of the streamers as a threat to the objectivity and transparency that should actually prevail in the streaming industry.
DynasticReign has this to say:
Why should Bungie be obligated to reveal the facts of their investigation into him? If it happened that quickly, it means that it was pretty obvious that it was him. Stop with this ‘Oh, he’s a nice person, so it’s impossible he could have done it.'”
comments DynasticReign under the Twitter post by Gladd
The player Tim Dunn also argues: “Do you think Bungie hasn’t looked at this closely? I noticed he never denied that the information came from his PC, he just denied that he shared it.”
One thing is already clear from the case of the banned Twitch streamer in Destiny 2. The reputation of a content creator can become endangered incredibly quickly.
UPDATE 04.18.2023: Will Bungie review the case again now? No. The Bungie team has made it clear on Twitter that nothing will be reviewed again. They shared the following message with the players:
Our security and legal teams have examined irrefutable evidence, including video recordings, verified messages, and images that show a timeline pattern confirming that the same person has leaked confidential information from community summits over several years.
We are very disappointed that we received this information and wish that things with this person had gone differently. We do not take these measures lightly, and we are confident in our decision.
This is our final statement on this matter.
via Twitter
Ekuegan’s streamer colleagues will therefore likely not be able to achieve a re-examination of the case.
What do you think of his ban? Do you believe Bungie investigated properly and rightly suspended him? Or do you think his friends and colleagues are right that he would never risk his career as a content creator and the associated reputation in the industry and that someone must have set him up? Do you think Bungie needs to take another look at the case? Let us know in the comments.
There is currently also movement on the cheating front in Destiny 2, as the manufacturers of the nasty hardware cheat devices are now warning of the new detection systems from the developers:
