The streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has long been the face of Twitch. On January 30, 2024, she surprisingly announced her departure. Now she has explained what lies behind her decision.
Who is the streamer? Imane “Pokimane” Anys is one of the most well-known female streamers on Twitch. For a long time, her face even adorned the app of the streaming platform. Although the 27-year-old has been streaming less since 2022, she continues to be the largest female streamer on Twitch by follower count (via SullyGnome).
On January 30, Pokimane hinted in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that she would be leaving Twitch after 10 years. In the latest episode of her podcast, she justified her decision and explained how things will proceed.
Pokimane gives up platform exclusivity
What’s next for Pokimane? As the 27-year-old explained, she does not want to completely give up streaming. However, she does not want to be tied exclusively to one platform in the future. Such exclusive contracts are simply not as lucrative as they used to be, Pokimane states. Additionally, they could lead streamers to prioritize the quantity of hours streamed over the quality of content, the streamer further explains.
Instead, she wants to stream on various platforms in the future. A similar path was already taken by the famous Ninja:
Pokimane speaks of a toxic streaming culture
Why is she leaving Twitch? The decisive factor for Pokimane is what she sees as an increasingly toxic streaming culture on Twitch. In her podcast, she says she would probably continue streaming on Twitch if it weren’t for the rise of “manosphere, red pill garbage.”
According to the streamer, some of the most popular and established male creators on the platform spread ideals of toxic masculinity: “Some of the things they say and do break my heart.”
A central rhetoric of the Manosphere is the red and blue pills, referencing the sci-fi classic Matrix: Choosing the red pill in the film awakens one to see the world as it really is. The blue pill, on the other hand, symbolizes staying in the simulation.
In reference to this, the “initiated” also call themselves “Redpillers” and look down disdainfully on the so-called “Bluepillers” (via The Guardian).
Former kickboxer Andrew Tate is considered a central figure within the Manosphere.
Pokimane explains that to remain on Twitch, she would either have to fight a losing battle against those other streamers and their views, or try to target the same audience as them. However, she does not want to do either:
Why would you say something against someone who has countless followers and hardcore fans that will turn against you and come at you? It’s almost like it doesn’t make sense to express your opinion to people that you’ll never change anyway, you know?
And honestly, many of them are prepubescent little boys who just need to go through puberty and then they’ll understand some things. You know, I don’t want that demographic.
Pokimane apparently feels that she is not adequately supported by Twitch in this regard. The platform has severely regressed, especially compared to the times of the pandemic. Back then, there were so many people watching streams and being enthusiastic about games, according to the streamer. There were many female viewers, and the demographics were overall more diverse.
However, now, in 2024, there are still many problems, Pokimane states. “When I tell you that there are people, viewers on Twitch, who stalk and harass streamers endlessly, who have made thousands of accounts…” In such cases, the platform can do little, as they do not impose IP bans, the 27-year-old explains.
Pokimane wants to focus on creating a “cool, safe environment” for her community and continue to build it across multiple platforms. Her first stream on YouTube is set to take place on February 1, 2024.
Regardless, she also wants to enjoy her newfound freedom and, for example, spontaneously go live on Instagram for an hour – something that hadn’t been possible before.
