At gamescom 2022 in Cologne, a smoldering conflict escalated on Friday, August 26th, between several German Twitch streamers. The Berlin streamer Kilian “Tanzverbot” Heinrich and the casino streamer Kevin “Orangemorange” Bongers engaged in a scene that is now causing a stir on the internet. Several terms related to the scene are trending on German Twitter such as #Gamescon, Tanzverbot, Tanzi, Scurrows, Orange, and Becher.
What is the conflict about? The conflict has been brewing for a while.
Tanzverbot (featured image) has been criticizing German streamers like Orangemorange for months for broadcasting gambling on Twitch. Already on May 6th, the Berlin streamer tweeted (via twitter):
This casino crap makes me so aggressive. I see it everywhere from people I actually appreciate. From people who wouldn’t need it.
Tanzverbot
Gambling is a sensitive topic on Twitch worldwide. There are accusations that streamers make deals with online casinos to offset their own losses. Viewers who want to emulate their streamers cannot offset their own losses, become dependent, and end up bankrupt.
Casino streamers fill the gap of MontanaBlack and Knossi in Germany
Who is the other party? The streamers Scurrows and orangemorange are by far the largest German Twitch streamers in the gambling category “Slots” when looking at the last 90 days.
Previously, the German streamers MontanaBlack and Knossi were the leaders, but they stopped broadcasting gambling on Twitch some time ago.
We at MeinMMO learned from lawyer Christian Solmecke: The shift away from casino streams likely stemmed from agrowing legal and public pressure on both streamers.
Conflict between Tanzverbot and casino streamers has been brewing for months
This happened before the gamescom: In the lead-up to and during the gamescom, the simmering conflict escalated.
The streamer scurrows tweeted around Friday, August 26th, that he was at gamescom. But the streamers who insulted him now lacked the courage to confront him. Tanzverbot would be “hiding in the bathroom” (via twitter).
Also, rangemorange wrote on Twitter that he had searched for Tanzverbot at gamescom, but he was “hiding in the toilet”: According to him, this was a reference. Because Tanzverbot had alleged that he was hiding in the bathroom at Twitchcon.
So one can say that the casino streamers are now stoking the conflict on Twitter. Tanzverbot is known for losing control when provoked.
There were also games at the gamescom game fair:
“You sold your honor” vs. “You are a hypocrite”
How the conflict started at gamescom: This afternoon it finally happened, and the groups actually met in the outdoor area of the gamescom.
There is a 45-second video of the likely start of the meeting. However, it is difficult to reconstruct the exact course of the conflict because the encounter was recorded with cell phone cameras and only shows a fraction of the events. Additionally, a number of people are standing between the camera and the action.
According to our assessment, the following happened in the video:
- Tanzverbot (white T-shirt) accused the group around Orangemorange and Scurrows of their casino streams. He shouted that they had sold their honor and soul. Numerous curse words were used.
- Scurrows (black sweater), on the other hand, defended himself by accusing Tanzverbot of being “a hypocrite”
- Tanzverbot apparently wanted to initiate a physical conflict by challenging Scurrows to “come over”; however, attendees at the gamescom had already gathered between the two conflicting parties, shielding and restraining both parties and trying to de-escalate the situation.
- Particularly, Tanzverbot’s companion, Lola (smooth blonde hair), also a streamer, can be heard in the scene urging Tanzverbot: “Stop it, just stop it.” But he audibly continued to escalate the situation.
Video of attack by Orangemorange goes viral on Twitter
How did this escalate? In a second video that went viral on Twitter, one can see the physical part of the action:
- Tanzverbot stands opposite the streamer gTasty (in the yellow shirt) and both seem to be calmly conversing. A woman stands next to them and appears agitated.
- Suddenly the streamer Orangemorange approaches the group from the left crouched and throws a cup with liquid, almost falls, and apparently hits another uninvolved woman, who then grabs her head.
- While Tanzverbot and Lola disappear out of view to the right, Scurrows builds up and yells: “What do you want?”
Update 10:13 PM: There is also a video showing the seconds immediately before this video. You can see why the woman appears so agitated at the start of the video; she was apparently pushed shortly before (via twitter).
This is the 3rd video of the action: A third video shows the seconds after this attack:
- Scurrows is shouting in the general direction of Tanzverbot, who is being restrained by several people and the streamer Lola.
- Tanzverbot seems to have lost control of himself in the situation, is red-faced, and pushes Lola.
- According to his own statements, Tanzverbot weighs 117 kilograms, and people visibly struggle to control him somewhat.
— tbrx52 (@tbrx52) August 26, 2022
Update August 27th, 8:49 AM: There is another video from a closer perspective focusing on Tanzverbot. The video shows the conflict more clearly, and one can hear the participants:
Accidentally “hit a woman in the conflict area”
What do the participants say? orangemorange says: Tanzverbot spat at him and “someone” pushed/hit him. He intended to throw both cups at Tanzverbot. He was “only defending himself”. The cup contained Red Bull (via twitter).
There is no apology for his behavior or anything of the sort. orangemorange seems only concerned with clarifying that he threw a plastic cup with Red Bull, not a glass bottle.
Scurrows also emphasizes that no glass bottle was thrown. He writes: The cup hit “a woman who was in the conflict area”: He also accuses Tanzverbot of having spoken derogatorily and spat.
According to Scurrows, Tanzverbot “made a big deal,” insulted, and then “his crew started a fight.” Tanzverbot “screamed like a girl” and ultimately “pushed some streamer” (via twitter).
From Tanzverbot, there is the statement: He did not spit at anyone (via twitter).
gTasty, who was also involved in the conflict, primarily emphasizes the role of Lola: she is a lioness, having intervened to hold back her “wild” boyfriend. Hopefully, she is doing well (via twitter).
Lola wrote: She is doing well so far. She thanks for the nice messages (via twitter).
YouTuber HerrNewstime (lumberjack shirt) was also present during the conflict: He says that there was a muscular man in the group around Scurrows, of whom he later learned that he was a martial artist. He insulted him as “bald” and appeared very threatening. This is apparently the man in the green shirt.
HerrNewstime says that Scurrows and Orangemorange bullied and insulted Tanzverbot. The YouTuber had hoped that it would remain a verbal conflict; when the situation escalated, he intervened to protect the young woman. He says it is very regrettable that it came to this (via youtube). The woman who was hit received medical attention.