ZLaner's Dr Disrespect Cosplay Backfired In A Big Way
"Call of Duty: Warzone" streamer ZLaner was not allowed to participate in the latest Twitch Rivals tournament — and not for any reason that you might expect. ZLaner was set to participate in the $75,000 Twitch Rivals Warzone tournament on July 20, only to receive a message from Twitch staff stating he was not eligible to participate. ZLaner shared this message on Twitter, alongside a picture of him cosplaying as his frequent "Warzone" partner, Dr Disrespect. While the tweet didn't directly state the reason for his ineligibility, the picture may have been significant.
Esports Talk's Jake Lucky shared on Twitter that ZLaner was barred from participating in the Twitch Rivals tournament because he had previously dressed up as Dr. Disrespect during the World Series of "Warzone" on Twitch. For those who don't know, Dr. Disrespect has been banned from Twitch for sometime now, which means that he cannot appear on the platform in any way, even as a part of another Twitch creator's stream.
While ZLaner's cosplay technically didn't violate any rules (and it brought the Doc back to Twitch in a hilarious way), Jake Lucky believes Twitch may have been unhappy with Dr Disrespect getting any sort of representation during a large event. However, some have presented alternate reasons for the ban.
Other possible reasons for Twitch's decision
According to a member of Twitch staff, participants in the event must be a "Twitch Partner or Affiliate," as well as "in good standing" with Twitch" and the people who made "Warzone." Although ZLaner isn't a Twitch Partner, fans have pointed out that he is a Twitch Affiliate. This would seem to indicate that ZLaner would be considered in good standing with Twitch, but it's possible the Dr Disrespect cosplay may have bumped him out of that spot.
Twitch has not publicly responded to ZLaner's disqualification from the Twitch Rivals tournament, but the platform may want to say something soon. Regardless of whether or not ZLaner's Dr. Disrespect cosplay was the reason for the DQ, a number of people are starting to believe that is the case.
ZLaner primarily streams on Facebook, so while this incident probably won't have too much impact on him in the long run, it's clear from his initial Twitter post that the streamer is disappointed to have been disqualified so close to the start of a tournament, and without any stated reason. Luckily, ZLaner has plenty of options when it comes to his streaming future. In the past, ZLaner has turned down Twitch exclusivity deals, since that would limit his ability to stream with Dr. Disrespect.