Make sure you're sitting down for this one, because I have some shocking news: there's drama in Streamerville. The big story right now is the impact newcomer Kick is making on the scene, shelling out huge sums for both xQc and Amouranth to move to the platform. Twitch is in a weakened state right now, having made a series of terrible business decisions, and Kick arrives as the new kid on the block with an ideology that appeals to both fans and creators. Not all creators though: Pokimane is unconvinced, and that's where the drama begins.
When Pokimane was asked by a fan in chat if she would join Kick in a $10 million deal, Pokimane was clear... at least initially. "No," Pokimane responded. "And it's not 'cause I got $10 million, it's just 'cause I'm good as I am." This is a perfectly reasonable response that's very in-line with Pokimane's philosophy. She's taken breaks for mental health and has deprioritised making money, safe in the knowledge that barring a spending meltdown, she's set for life. "Why would I compromise my morals and ethics for money when I already have money?" came the follow up, and again, that's a pertinent question. Kick is clearly a questionable platform, given it was founded by Stake.com with the unspoken aims of encouraging gambling amongst its (mostly teenage) viewers.
This is a fine point well made, but a quick back pedal from Pokimane muddied the water, and is probably what left the door open for Amouranth to get involved later on. "That's so cringe to me personally,” Pokimane continued. Like I understand if you need to make money, right? [But] for me to do cringe shit when I have money, I can't. Like, ew." This is Pokimane now fully talking like a streamer, saying words while saying nothing. If somebody significant in the streaming world (other than Hasan, who has discussed it but speaks to a different crowd) were to explain why Kick is a dangerous idea, we might get somewhere. Instead, all we get is drama.
In the mix of all that, there was a point made, though never with enough purpose behind it: Pokimane suggested it "makes more sense" for xQc to be on Kick, given both his and its ties to gambling, but that it seems "desperate". She added "I would rather make $0 and keep my dignity", and is so close to making the point about why Kick is a bad idea, but backs away and turns it into a personal 'ew cringe' debate rather than getting to the crux of the issue. Streamers are always on the spot, but she's a seasoned pro and this is a major issue - if she's going to comment, she needs to come prepared.
Pokimane wrapped up her feelings with the question "can someone put this into words better than I can?", and considering the eggshells she cautiously fumbled around, that shouldn't be too hard. The facts of the situation are fairly simple: Pokimane has talked previously about not being motivated by money as she's now set for life, she's always been a risk-averse streamer (as her non-criticism of Kick shows) and so jumping ship to a new platform is not in her nature. Despite watching her words carefully, we can assume that an unregulated platform sponsored by a gambling company, whose first signing was a self-confessed gambling addict, and whose face star is Adin Ross, is not really what Pokimane is looking for.
Of course, an unspoken part of this is that Pokimane is unlikely to be offered $10 million for her services, especially for the edgy image Kick is trying to build. It's perhaps telling that with xQc on $100 million and Dr DisRespect recently saying he'd jump ship for $50 million, Pokimane's fans are only willing to offer her a hypothetical tenth of xQc. If someone asks you, in front of your wife, if you'd cheat on your wife with Ana de Armas, the sensible answer is 'of course not', because Ana de Armas is not a realistic prospect. Pokimane's statements were, typically, tame and lacking in bite, but that hasn't stopped Amouranth from biting back.
Amouranth is less accustomed to biting her tongue than Pokimane, and so her response is clearer - this is all for clout. "I don't think this is true," Amouranth said of Pokimane's reasoning. "I think the reason why she mentioned [xQc] is because she's trying to farm clout and relevancy in an era where she doesn't really have any". Pokimane is the tenth most followed streamer, with 9.3 million followers, and the only woman in the top 20, although Amouranth is second, makes a lot more money from outside sources like OnlyFans, and streams far more regularly. Pokimane has taken frequent and prolonged breaks in 2023, but to suggest she's now a faded star is overselling it.
I like both Pokimane and Amouranth in their own way - both handle the pressure of being famous women in a male dominated field expertly. I think Pokimane should be more committal if she's going to talk about Kick and have respect for her viewers enough to elevate the conversation above 'ew, cringe shit', and I think Amouranth is wrong to support a platform that promotes gambling so recklessly and borderline illegally, especially when gambling is not part of her brand to begin with.
Kick is fairly open about its nefarious intentions, but at the same time, Twitch is doing everything possible to push streamers away by milking them dry. Nothing I've seen from Kick, whether it be the company it keeps, the fact it was built off the backs of bans and threats of legal action, or the bumper contracts it surely is not in a position to regularly afford, convinces me it won't go the way of Mixer. But if it does fail, it won't be because it's "cringe shit", and if we're going to call it out, we need to have a better reason.