Why Dr Disrespect Thinks He Was Banned From Warzone 2.0
Dr Disrespect sometimes courts drama, but a recent ban from "Warzone 2.0" left fans disappointed that they wouldn't get to see their favorite creator play the latest "Call of Duty" content — for a while, at least. It's not particularly unusual for Dr Disrespect to receive bans, temporary or permanent. The streamer famously suffered a permanent Twitch ban a couple of years ago, which led to him joining YouTube Gaming and rebuilding his fanbase.
Now, Dr Disrespect has been banned again, this time receiving a week-long suspension from "Warzone 2.0." While players aren't entirely sure why the Doc was kicked off the new battle royale title, Dr Disrespect has some ideas about what might have gotten him the boot: proximity chat.
Proximity chat is a feature in "Warzone 2.0" that allows players to hear when others are nearby, talking to anyone in their proximity (hence the name). While some players might want to turn proximity chat off, many gamers are having fun with the feature, using it to incite chaos in the game. As noted by Kotaku, proximity chat could lead to more toxicity within the "Warzone" community by accidentally encouraging trash talk and cruel behavior during matches. According to the Doc, abuse of proximity chat might just be the reason that he was banned for a week, although it's difficult to know for sure. Here's what Dr Disrespect had to say about the ban, and about proximity chat in general.
Why did Doc get banned?
Dr Disrespect was enjoying a game of "Warzone 2.0" on an alternate account when he paused to acknowledge that he should probably stop using the proximity chat feature, lest he be banned again. The Doc made a joking cough into the mic before suggesting that he should probably avoid aggravating anyone on proximity chat. "I should probably chill on this account, chat. Yeah, I mean with the proximity chat," he said. "It's not even my account."
"They banned my other one for 7 days, for proximity chat use," the Doc said, sighing. Dr Disrespect reiterated that he was only banned for a few days, and that his main account would be unbanned soon. Nonetheless, he seemed irritated by the incident.
I wasn't going to say anything, really, because I don't really care," he explained. "Spam? Yeah, it was probably spam, but, I mean, was it? Was it really?" In his chat, some commenters suggested that "Warzone 2.0" moderators were potentially searching for a reason to ban Dr Disrespect, but there's no real way to know for sure.
The Doc said that he felt "extremely hyper-aware" of his language and use of proximity chat. He also speculated that the moderation team might be trying to make an example of a high profile player. Dr Disrespect's ban would get news coverage and reach a wide variety of viewers on his stream, which would theoretically lead gamers to get the message that proximity chat isn't something to be abused.
When fans asked what specific incident led to the ban, the Doc speculated that it was during a specific scene in which he said an off-color word that – while some might consider it inappropriate – is relatively common. Dr Disrespect said that whoever determines bans is woefully out of touch with gaming culture.
What are fans saying about the ban?
For the most part, fans agreed with the Doc, arguing that his ban was unjust. Fellow Twitch streamer Kagekiri called Dr Disrespect's behavior entitled, saying, "Dr. Disrespect calling devs 'out of touch' for what's likely an automated ban. Also, saying others are 'way f***ing worse' is not a free pass to be rude."
Another gamer commented that the Doc shouldn't have been banned because – like Dr Disrespect suggested on his stream – other players have committed more bannable offenses, like streaming copyrighted music or making racist comments. Another player suggested that the developers shouldn't have put proximity chat in the game in the first place, if they didn't want the feature to be abused.
Others argued that Dr Disrespect has arguably brought more attention to the game than any other streamer who plays "Call of Duty," and that developers should be grateful to him for the exposure. However, some have also put forth the notion that Dr Disrespect should have expected the ban. "Maybe don't make your entire personality about being toxic and you'll be fine," one gamer said.
Dr Disrespect's ban from the game will be brief, but it raises some interesting questions about how "Warzone 2.0" will handle toxic talk in proximity chat going forward. One thing's certain, though. Dr Disrespect sees the ban as a minor inconvenience and will be back on his main account soon enough.