Russian streamer HoneyMad has set off a major upset on Twitch. During his last livestream, he marked Ukrainian NPCs with the “Z” symbol, used by supporters of the Russian military aggression in Ukraine.
HoneyMad, who recently relocated to the United States, didn’t stop at visual provocation. He peppered his stream with derogatory comments about Ukrainians, pushing the boundaries of acceptable content on the platform.
Known for his edgy content, HoneyPad has previously fled multiple countries due to backlash from his inflammatory statements. It seems old habits die hard, even on American soil.
The gaming community’s reaction was swift and severe. Viewers slammed the streamer’s actions as deeply offensive, with many calling for Twitch to take action. He has since been banned from Twitch and the clip has been removed from the platform.
Adding a layer of irony to the situation, the game HoneyMad was playing is believed to be “STALKER 2” which is a Ukrainian-developed title. Some speculate the copy might even be pirated, given the limited availability of foreign games in Russia.
Despite the uproar, or perhaps because of it, HoneyMad claimed to have broken his viewership record during his controversial stream. It is not the win he thinks it is, though.
