Hasan Piker was deliberately excluded from the recent Streamer Games event after telecommunications giant AT&T deemed him too risky for their brand. The high-profile streaming competition, which features numerous internet personalities competing in various games, moved forward without Hasan after the major sponsor specifically requested his exclusion.
Sources close to the event confirmed that AT&T directly instructed organizers not to extend an invitation to Hasan, citing concerns over his outspoken political views and controversial statements. This wasn’t a case of Hasan declining to participate—he simply wasn’t given the option.
Hasan, known for his progressive politics and unfiltered commentary on global issues, has built his platform discussing topics many corporate sponsors find uncomfortable. His past remarks on US foreign policy, 9/11, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have stirred up plenty of criticism, along with a big supporter base.
AT&T’s decision shows pretty standard behavior among big corporations trying to steer clear of polarizing figures who might alienate some of their customers. While you see this a lot in traditional entertainment and sports, these direct bans based on political viewpoints are much more noticeable in the streaming world now that there’s so much corporate money involved.
The Turkish-American streamer made a name for himself first as a host on The Young Turks before switching to full-time streaming on Twitch, where he mixes gaming content with political talk. His audience just keeps getting bigger—even, or maybe especially, because he’s willing to take controversial stands.
Worth noting, this ban only applies to AT&T-sponsored events and isn’t any sort of platform-wide restriction. Hasan is still active on Twitch and YouTube, doing his usual streams.
