Twitch streamer suspended for Chun-Li cosplay

(Image credit: Quqco (Twitch))

Twitch has temporarily suspended the account of streamer Quqco for violating its guidelines on "sexually suggestive content or activities." The suspension arose following a weekend stream during which she was cosplaying as Street Fighter stalwart Chun-Li. As noted by Kotaku (and known by even casual Street Fighter fans), the outfit includes a thigh-high slit. But Quqco told the site that she "bought one size up to ensure that the slit wasn't too high."

Quqco also told Kotaku that the suspension was due to "a group of trolls" who have been repeatedly targeting her with mass reports. "I am immediately reported because I’ve been branded a thot," she said. 

Quqco was previously banned in August for dressed as King of Fighters character Mai Shiranui, which she said was also the result of a targeted online campaign to report her by members of the LivestreamFail subreddit. 

A LivestreamFail moderator denied any connection to the most recent stream, but according to Kotaku, one member of the group wrote in a since-deleted post, "Lmao saw her streaming again today and instantly reported the thot."

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One of the biggest challenges facing streamers is that Twitch's guidelines on sexually suggestive content are notoriously vague. Anything suggestive is generally prohibited, but Twitch will "consider its intent and context based on a number of factors including, but not limited to" to the following:

  • Behavior and commentary
  • Reaction to content, such as chat messages from the broadcaster, moderators, and what chat messages they permit in their community
  • Attire and environment, such as location and background music, props, etc.
  • Camera framing, angle, and focus
  • Stream attributes, such as title, intros/outros, custom thumbnail, and other metadata
  • Profile and channel content, such as banners, profile image, emotes, and panels

The guidelines include an explanation for the lack of specific rules regarding clothing, saying that as Twitch expands its content offerings, "the need for updating the range of attire that is acceptable" changes as well:

"For example, something that is acceptable for a broadcast at the beach or the gym may not be acceptable for a cooking or gameplay broadcast. In an effort to help creators abide by our Community Guidelines in the same way they would expectations of behavior in the real world, we’ve updated our policies to reflect that we will consider not just the attire itself, but also the contextual setting in which it is worn and the intent of the person wearing it, when moderating content. Please remember that sexually explicit or suggestive content, such as nudity exposing or focusing on genitals, buttocks, or nipples, and attire intended to be sexually suggestive are prohibited."

Setting aside the obvious question of who determines what is "intended to be sexually suggestive," Twitch is regularly filled with streamers wearing revealing attire. Quqco expressed frustration over the seeming capriciousness of Twitch's bans for sexually suggestive content, and the abuse that results, in a series of tweets posted the day before her own suspension was levied.

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The entire video of the stream is unavailable on Twitch, so I've reached out to the company to ask what specifically triggered the suspension of Quqco's account, and will update if I receive a reply.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.