The arrest of former kickboxer Andrew Tate on December 29, 2022, was a huge topic at the end of the year. While many were focused on the issue of guilt and possible consequences for Tate, some content creators seemed to find a different aspect of the story interesting: the MMORPG streamer Asmongold explained on Twitch how wonderful the whole thing is for him.
What is the deal with Andrew Tate? Former kickboxer Andrew Tate became an extremely controversial figure as an influencer on TikTok and other platforms. Critics accuse him of misogyny and glorifying a toxic form of masculinity.
In 2022, Andrew Tate was banned from mainstream social media platforms; he had been banned from Twitter since 2017. The new Twitter CEO Elon Musk lifted the ban in November 2022.
In gaming, Tate indirectly caused one of the powerful team leaders in League of Legends to fall:
His own ego brings Tate down
How did the arrest come about? Andrew Tate used his Twitter comeback to post videos. He apparently doxxed himself accidentally: in one video, a mountainous landscape can be seen, which apparently gave the Romanian police a hint towards Tate’s whereabouts.
In his boasting, Tate seemingly forgot that he was wanted in Romania on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and organized crime. On December 29, 2022, Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested by Romanian authorities.
Streamers can “farm content” with Tate
How do Twitch streamers come into play? Some content creators had long discovered Tate as a source for provocative content even before his arrest. For example, a teen Fortnite streamer sought love tips from Tate, and a German streamer caused a stir by chanting “Free Andrew Tate” at Gamescom 2022.
The arrest of the Tate brothers and the prospect of a trial seemed to give some streamers dollar signs in their eyes. For example, MMORPG streamer Asmongold watched footage of the arrest in a stream and explained how grateful he was – not necessarily for the fact that Tate could be held accountable, but because it would provide him with content for at least 2 weeks.
Asmongold goes even further, already dreaming of a trial that he could milk for content. The streamer is known for his content related to WoW and MMORPGs, but he has exploited the trial between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in this way:
If a trial happens, I’m sure that Andrew Tate – as egomaniacal as he is – will have it broadcast on TV. We will get up every day at 8 in the morning to watch it. […] I’m really excited about it. All the videos about this will be monetized, and we will make a ton of money off it. It’s just great. We are entering a new golden age.
The outcome of a potential trial, however, is completely irrelevant to him, Asmongold says. He doesn’t care, that’s the truth. We’ve embedded the corresponding clip for you here:
Viewers are unsure: cunning or just immature?
How are Asmongold’s statements received? Not well at all. On Reddit, members of the LivestreamFail community accused Asmongold of lacking maturity. Pretending to be indifferent to seem cool is seen as teenage behavior (via reddit).
The casual way in which Asmongold talks about a trial that could involve serious crimes is considered inappropriate. Some see it as the streamer trying to downplay his previous statements.
Asmongold had explained that there is a 50 percent chance that “the government” wants to pin something on the Tate brothers. He compared the situation of the brothers to that of civil rights activist Martin Luther King.
Asmongold has since apologized for these statements and admitted he was wrong. That was dumb and untrue, said the streamer (via Twitch).
Now, such an accusation on Reddit claims he is trying to downplay his previous comments by claiming he doesn’t care and it’s just content (via reddit).
Somewhat strangely, Asmongold made his comments about how much money he could make from broadcasting a Tate trial on his second channel zackrawrr. Unlike his main channel Asmongold, this one is not monetized.
