PogChamp emote banned due to ties to Capitol violence

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The PogChamp emote on Twitch is one of the oldest on the platform and was often used by gamers to signify joy and surprise. But the face in the emote, pro Street Fighter player and entrepreneur Ryan Gutierrez, gained attention after posting a call to “civil unrest” on Twitter on Wednesday.

Gutierrez, who tweets under the gootecks ​​handle, called the woman who died after being shot on Capitol Hill a #MakeAmericaGreatAgain martyr and pushed for civil unrest in response to her death. He followed up with another tweet claiming to be censored, saying, “PS Big Brother Twitter wouldn’t let me post the url so if you think major tech censorship isn’t real please.”

Gutierrez has not tweeted about the Twitch emote ban and has not responded to requests for comment.
Gamers usually say “PogChamp” or variations such as “Poggers” and “Pog” when they celebrate a surprise win in a game or share something they consider particularly great. Emotes, similar to emojis, are often spammed in ads while streamers play games or chat with fans.

The PogChamp emote originated from a 2010 video blooper by Gutierrez, where he created an overly puzzled look, with wide-open eyes and a gaping mouth.

Twitch acknowledged Wednesday that “we want the sentiment and usage of Pog to live on – its significance far outweighs the person portrayed or the image itself – and it holds a big place in Twitch culture. However, we can’t help but Conscience continues to allow the use of the image. ”The platform said it would be working on creating a replacement emote.

Wednesday’s spell calls on fans to have a new person become the face of the PogChamp emote to replace Gutierrez, with many voluntarily offering their likeness or the likeness of their favorite Twitch streamers.

Facebook and Twitter have also taken action in response to Wednesday’s unrest, suspending President Donald Trump’s accounts to limit the reach of his social media posts to his supporters, including those who stormed the Capitol.

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