The Twitch streamer Pia “Shurjoka” Scholz and the streamer Theodor “Scurrows” Bottländer are currently having a dispute on social networks. We give you an overview and explain what the conflict is about.
How did it come to this?
- In February 2023, there was a major discussion about the action RPG Hogwarts Legacy, which takes place in the universe of the popular book series Harry Potter. Shurjoka had already called for a boycott of the game a year earlier. This was justified by the author J.K. Rowling’s stance on transgender issues. The colleagues at GamePro have a summary of the controversy.
- Through her activism surrounding the release of Hogwarts Legacy, Shurjoka has become the face of the left, “woke” faction among German content creators this year for some.
- The streamers Scurrows and KuchenTV took a position against Shurjoka and other critics of the game in the debate regarding Hogwarts Legacy.
- After things seemed to have calmed down, Shurjoka was once again targeted by the streamers when she was honored with the German Game Award as Player of the Year. KuchenTV called the award ceremony a “scandal”.
- MontanaBlack, one of the largest German streamers, also reacted to KuchenTV’s videos about the DCP. Since then, the three streamers have apparently united in their aversion toward Shurjoka.
KuchenTV has now published a series of videos related to Shurjoka. In 5 of his last 20 videos (as of July 5), the streamer appears in the thumbnail. MontanaBlack and Scurrows are actively using the videos as a basis for reactions, constantly reinforcing each other.
Shurjoka accuses Scurrows
What is the current development? The trigger for the current escalation of the conflict was a joint talk by Scurrows with a Twitch streamer who goes by the name “DerRadikaleDemokrat”.
For the conversation, DerRadikaleDemokrat received criticism from his own bubble. Shurjoka expressed the opinion that one shouldn’t even talk to Scurrows. She calls his statements “inhumane things” that should not be given a platform (via Twitter).
In a stream, Shurjoka further stated that Scurrows had openly expressed himself against certain groups of people on Twitter, including women and queer people. She also mentioned an incident that allegedly occurred at gamescom 2017.
At that time, Scurrows allegedly harassed her and filmed her intentionally in a way that was inappropriate. Shurjoka had already made these allegations in the past, for instance, in a series of tweets from 2020 (via Twitter). The Twitch streamer has always denied the allegations.
In a post from July 1, Scurrows finally stated that he was fed up with being accused without evidence and threatened the streamer with legal consequences. In a video from July 4, he wanted to show “the truth” about the alleged incident at gamescom 2017.
A video is supposed to show the truth
What is seen in the video? The 15-minute video consists of an introduction by Scurrows, in which he summarizes the background from his perspective. He then shows a clip of the encounter between the two at gamescom.
In the clip, Shurjoka points out to Scurrows that she does not want to be filmed from above, as that is rude. The streamer complies with the request and holds the phone lower; they then chat briefly before going their separate ways.
How is this being discussed now? The names of Scurrows and Shurjoka are currently trending on German Twitter. There are said to be more than 10,000 tweets on the subject. However, taking a look at the discussion, one can wonder if the people involved have actually seen the same video.
Because the interpretations of what was actually seen vary widely. For some, the video is clear evidence: Shurjoka made up the allegations, and Scurrows has finally been able to prove his innocence (via Twitter).
Others view it as “content production” (via Twitter). They accuse Scurrows of not showing the full stream but only a short excerpt. Shurjoka herself explains in a statement that she encountered Scurrows again after the scene shown.
This subsequent encounter was then not as friendly.
Many other content creators now find themselves in a position where they must take a side. MontanaBlack, for instance, had already made his position clear ahead of time: He said he knows what Scurrows has, which would destroy Shurjoka’s credibility (via YouTube).
Some streamers who normally disagree with Scurrows’ opinions and have criticized him in the past are now taking his side (via Twitter).
The streamer Freiraumreh, on the other hand, announced that she wants to distance herself from all streamers who show solidarity with Scurrows (via Twitter). This stance is shared by some in her circle.
Thus, the divisions between the different camps in German Twitch seem to be hardening further.
