If you were to gather a random group of Twitch users and ask them what some of the most popular emotes on the platform are, the PogChamp emote would definitely make the list.
However, in January 2021, Twitch made the decision to completely remove it from the platform. Here's why...
Why Twitch Removed PogChamp
On January 6, 2021, massive crowds of people stormed the United States Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 electoral defeat of Donald Trump. Little did we know that chaos was to soon follow on the internet as well.
Trump's accounts on Facebook and Instagram were banned as a result of the riot. Meanwhile, Twitter, Snapchat, and Twitch banned Trump permanently. But once the former president was stripped of his privilege to post on these social media platforms, his followers continued to share their support.
Enter gamer and internet personality Ryan Gutierrez, better known online as Gootecks. Gutierrez's surprised expression from an online video is the image from which the PogChamp emote was created.
On the evening of the riot, he asked his followers in a tweet if there would be "civil unrest" for a woman that was killed inside the Capitol. Soon after that, Twitch announced that it was taking the PogChamp emote down.
We've made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote following statements from the face of the emote encouraging further violence after what took place in the Capitol today.
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 7, 2021
Twitch continued, explaining that it didn't want the sentiment of "Pog"—that humorous kind of excitement, joy, or shock—to disappear from the platform, only the face representing it.
"Its meaning is much bigger than the person depicted or image itself," Twitch said.
Twitch Now Changes the PogChamp Emote Everyday
With the removal of Gutierrez's image from Twitch, it became clear that there would need to be some kind of replacement. Twitter users immediately flooded Twitch's replies with photos of other streamers with the same wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression.
It must have been difficult for the Twitch team to select one single image to reclaim the PogChamp emote—which is probably why they instead came up with a solution where they wouldn't have to pick just one.
On January 8, Twitch tweeted that it would change the face of the PogChamp Emote every 24 hours.
You know what? In the spirit of figuring out 2021 together, let’s just roll with it for now!
— Twitch (@Twitch) January 8, 2021
Get ready for a new PogChamp every 24 hours, starting today. https://t.co/R16EyASsFx
And since then, the live streaming service has held true to its promise. Every morning, you can log in to Twitter to find who Twitch has crowned its new PogChamp.
Streamers don't need to have the largest online reach to be selected as a PogChamp. While UnRooolie of YoVideogames and UmiNoKaiju were the first two PogChamp emotes since the removal of Gutierrez's likeness, other streamers with smaller audiences have been selected as well.
Gootecks' Response to the Emote Getting Removed
Soon after Twitch's announcement, the former face of PogChamp got locked out of his Twitter account. On January 11, after access to his account was restored, Gutierrez tweeted a screenshot of the Twitter notice. The report shows that he was locked out of Twitter for tweets related to hydroxychloroquine.
However, in that same tweet, he also acknowledges that Twitch removed the PogChamp emote from its platform, and ends on "My response will be on YouTube soon". It can be assumed that Gutierrez will eventually discuss both incidents in a video.
The Emote Changes, But the Sentiment Remains
It's unlikely that Twitch will continue to swap the face of the PogChamp emote every day; it's not the most sustainable change. Still, having an ever-changing emote is an unorthodox, surprisingly community-driven approach to this kind of situation.
If there's an influencer who you believe would make a great PogChamp emote, perhaps you should consider tweeting at Twitch to make it happen.
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