Twitch Lifts 14-Day Ban on League of Legends Streamer for Criticizing Riot Emote

League of Legends streamer Maks ‘Drututt’ Przychodzień has stated that his 14-day suspension from his Twitch account was a result of him voicing his opinion on an emote in the Riot Games title.

The K’Sante cosmetic, known as “Lemme Breathe,”featuring a Black champion wearing a breathing mask, sparked controversy when it was banned on August 30. Drututt expressed their thoughts on the ban through social media, stating that while they acknowledged the previous ban on the Akali and rope Pingu emoji, they believed that referencing George Floyd’s words, “I can’t breathe,”in a mocking manner was deemed acceptable.

“He clarified, “Was this deserved? I wasn’t laughing at the tragedy itself, but rather at Riot’s incompetence in not noticing it.”

The emote, which was created by the Vietnamese organization Viking Esports, was one of several cosmetics in a line designed by Riot’s League esports teams. Under this arrangement, the developer shares profits with the franchises. Before being introduced into the game, these cosmetics had to undergo approval from Riot.

Riot Games emote over a blurred background. — Riot Games

The K’Sante emote.

Riot’s cosmetic line has faced controversy due to the need to alter multiple designs for different reasons. Additionally, the emote featuring K’Sante has undergone a name change to “Cope’Sante.”

Drututt was first given a 14-day suspension by Twitch, which greatly angered him. He expressed his frustration on social media, exclaiming, “This can’t be freaking real!”at https://x.com/Drututt/status/1829653427519176904.

Despite the initial ban, the streamer was reinstated in less than two days. In a statement following his unbanning, he claimed to have undergone a transformation.

Upon hearing the news on social media, one fan responded by saying, “I’m glad they’re giving you some breathing room.”

Another person commented on the situation, saying that Twitch believed it was more beneficial for you to continue struggling in the jungle all day.

Drututt’s ban was lifted just days before Riot’s modification of the emote he had criticized on September 2. Following his unban, he has resumed streaming League of Legends.