In a ceremony that many will remember as being marred by controversy, Mexican streamer Samantha Rivers, known as RiversGG, was crowned Best Streamer of the Year at the 2024 Esports Awards. This election, which was made by popular vote, has sparked an intense debate within the streaming community, with well-known streamer Asmongold questioning the legitimacy of the result, claiming that Rivers won “just because she’s a woman” and to promote diversity.
Rivers, 26, beat out prominent industry figures like Kai Cenat, xQc, and Ibai, thanks to the massive support of her Spanish-speaking audience. Despite her huge popularity on platforms like Twitch, where she has millions of followers, some members of the community have criticized her victory, suggesting it is due more to external factors than to her talent as a content creator.
You can read: TWITCH streamer finally finds the woman of his dreams, but he does it in an action RPG that will be available on STEAM “The game of the year”
Asmongold has been one of these critics, calling the choice a clear example of a “diversity pick” – a decision that seeks to encourage diversity rather than reward the best candidate. According to him, other nominees such as IShowSpeed or Kai Cenat were more deserving of the award. “They nominated her just because she’s a woman. It’s embarrassing. She’s not even one of the best streamers. She’s not even close. Everyone knows that. It’s nonsense,” Asmongold said during a live stream.
Asmongold’s stance has sparked a heated debate. While some share his view, others defend Rivers’ victory, arguing that the vote was fair and that his triumph is a result of the support of his community. Streamer Squeex, for example, made light of Asmongold’s statements, pointing out the incongruity of criticizing Saudi Arabia for promoting diversity.
“You’re saying that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia manipulated the voting results for diversity reasons. It’s hilarious,” the streamer said.
Ultimately, many creators and viewers agree that this controversy reflects the complexity of the dynamics within the streaming community, where popularity, audience loyalty, and external factors play a crucial role in choosing the winners. While some believe the vote was rigged, others see Rivers’ victory as a testament to the power of the Spanish-speaking community and the growing impact of women in the esports industry.
Twitch streamer accuses IGN of intentionally misrepresenting Black Myth: Wukong director’s statements to derail the game
The gaming community is in the midst of an intense debate following a new clash between prominent figures in the industry. Popular streamer Asmongold has intensified his criticism of popular media outlet IGN, especially against a contributor to the outlet, following a controversial article published last November about the acclaimed game Black Myth: Wukong.
Conflict that originated in November 2023, when IGN published a critical article about Game Science, the studio behind Black Myth: Wukong. The article, written by a senior IGN reporter and an external contributor who provided support as a translator, caused great controversy by accusing the development team of questionable practices and manipulating information. And while this debate was taking place, the translator posted the following on his X account, which is now private: “Don’t play Black Myth: Wukong. If you have to, pirate it. If you like it, I don’t want to know about it. Fuck Game Science and all the idiots who do this to one of my favorite people in the gaming industry.”
