Updated on October 17, 2024: this article was updated to clarify that Asmongold said he's "stepping away" rather than "stepping down" from his roles, suggesting the move might not be permanent.
Summary
- Asmongold is stepping away from his leadership roles at Starforge Systems and OTK, two companies that he co-owns.
- He announced as much during a 20-minute video that saw him repeatedly apologize for his insensitive comments on the Israel-Hamas war.
- Asmongold said he has been "devolving" over the past few years and pledged to get his life in order, which will also involve making more positive content.
Twitch and YouTube star Zack Hoyt, better known by his online moniker Asmongold, has revealed plans to step away from his current roles at One True King (OTK) and Starforge Systems, two companies that he co-owns. The announcement was incorporated into a lengthy apology video over some controversial statements that recently saw him banned from Twitch.
During an October 14 stream, Asmongold discussed the ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas. As part of his monologue, he called Palestinians "terrible people" from "an inferior culture" that "kills people for their identity" and stands against everything the West does. "I don't feel sorry for them, I don't care," he concluded. The comments sparked immense online backlash, not least because they seemingly equated Palestinian civilians to the terrorist organization that Israel is at war with.
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Twitch temporarily banned Asmongold's alt channel ZackRawrr, where the rant originated, on October 15. A day later, the streamer published a 20-minute video on YouTube in which he repeatedly apologized for his statements. About halfway into the clip, Asmongold announced he is stepping away from his current leadership positions at content creation company One True King and prebuilt gaming PC brand Starforge Systems.
Asmongold Says He Has Been 'Devolving' Over the Past 2 Years
Reflecting on what led to this situation, Asmongold said that he has been "devolving" over the past two years, opining that his words and actions have gradually made him a worse version of himself during this period. He substantiated that claim by noting that his friends and family have been asking him to "calm down" as of late. While he insisted that he doesn't think he was "wrong about everything" he said over the past several years, he called some of his recent statements, including the Palestine rant, "indefensible."
I think that you guys deserve a much better version of me than what you've been getting, and I hope I can live up to that in the future.
Asmongold Plans To Focus on Different Types of Content Moving Forward
The streamer noted that the best apology he can make now is to get his life in order and start producing more positive content. He framed the decision to step away from his positions at OTK and Starforge Systems as part of this endeavor to "take accountability" and stop embracing negativity. "I think that you guys deserve a much better version of me than what you've been getting, and I hope I can live up to that in the future," Asmongold said. He explained that his shift to more positive content and "trying to laugh more with people rather than at people" will begin as soon as the ban on his ZackRawrr Twitch channel is lifted.
It is currently unclear whether this content shift might see Asmongold refrain from commenting on streamer controversies, which is something that he is known to do. Likewise, it's uncertain how it will affect his involvement in the so-called "anti-woke" online movement, where he became a prominent figure during the period that he now says saw him "devolve" into the worst version of himself.
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