Popular streamer Sebastian ‘Forsen’ Fors picked up a ban of ‘indefinite duration’ from Twitch after (accidentally) showing an inappropriate image live on stream. The strange thing is, we’ve barely heard from him since.
Forsen is one of Twitch’s longest-serving personalities. He’s been a staple of the community for almost a decade, making his name playing Hearthstone, and played nearly 700 different games live on the platform. Prior to his ban, he had over 1.4 million followers and had the 59th most-viewed channel.
On November 26, Forsen’s channel was suspended from Twitch. On the day it was announced, he stayed quiet. This was Forsen’s third ban of the year; the first coming in May for a controversial rant on Valorant, the second in September for a suspected misunderstanding over a ‘homophobic slur’.
This time, however, it was different. Some speculated it was caused by a classic Twitch DMCA strike, but Forsen would reveal it was for a far more bizarre reason.
❌ Twitch Partner "forsen" (@forsen) has been banned! ❌https://t.co/WBK1dm8L1c#twitch #ban #thirdban #partner #twitchpartner 🇼🇫
— StreamerBans (@StreamerBans) November 26, 2020
Why was Forsen banned?
Forsen was banned for briefly showing a gif displaying a horse alongside a woman in a compromising situation live on his stream.
He said: “I’m currently banned for the horse gif. The ban is indefinite which means undetermined ban duration. Unlucky.”
I'm currently banned for the horse gif.
The ban is indefinite which means undetermined ban duration.
Unlucky.
— Sebastian Fors (@Forsen) November 27, 2020
The reason for the indefinite suspension is almost certainly due to it being a third strike of sorts. As Twitch states in their community guidelines, “We keep a record of past violations, and multiple suspensions over time can lead to an indefinite suspension.” They continue, “For the most serious offenses, we will immediately and indefinitely suspend your account with no opportunity to appeal.”
Twitch faces backlash over Forsen ban
Some streamers have come to Forsen’s defense, with Asmongold arguing it was an accident. “I don’t think it’s really that big of a deal,” he said. “You show that for like a second, right? Cause it’s an accident.”
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Kaceytron was another streamer who showed support for Forsen, slamming Twitch’s decision as “stupid.”
She added: “I do not trust these motherf***ers with my livelihood. They never, ever make a good call, ever.”
Fans have also highlighted similar instances that have hit other streamers, who escaped without a ban. Pokimane infamously showed sexual material on stream after a viewer’s prank, but did not face a suspension.
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She was simply sent a warning, which explained that “another offense may result in a suspension.”
How long is Forsen banned from Twitch?
Forsen revealed on December 16 that he would be back “after Christmas.” When exactly is unclear.
Thanks for all the birthday wishes and general well wishes in dms and shit. It seems I will be unbanned slightly after christmas. Enjoy your holidays and shit!
— Sebastian Fors (@Forsen) December 16, 2020
So far it’s been his longest ban to date, eclipsing the two-week ban he received for the ‘Valorant rant’ in May.
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Most bans don’t tend to last longer than a week, and even the longest bans don’t tend to last more than 30 days. But, these are for temporary suspensions, which Forsen’s is not. Some big-name streamers, most notably Dr Disrespect, have been handed seemingly permanent bans, with the reasons dubious at best. For example, Dellor only just got his Twitch account back after over a year.
Either way, fans will be desperate to see Forsen back playing games as soon as possible.