by Popular streamer Guy “Dr Disrespect” Breahm, who has largely built his brand on playing and trashing Call of Duty in equal measure, has had his CoD account suspended for a week after being disrespectful in proximity chat. His association with the series is not limited to streaming, but includes a stint at Sledgehammer Games in the early 2010s, where he worked as a level designer on Advanced Warfare. As any viewer of his streams may know, Dr Disrespect is perhaps the ultimate example of bro culture: profanity and trash talking are a big part of his brand and appeal.
Which, of course, isn’t a license to act however you want, although the streamer gives an “I’m not bothered” retelling that makes it clear he’s probably pretty bothered: the suspension was apparently for calling one or more players a ” pussy” “. An insulting term and a misogynistic word at that, though it also feels like a tough thing to get banned for, even if it’s against Call of Duty’s new code of conduct which explicitly targets “derogatory comments based on […] gender identity”. Players must now accept this document before playing any of the games.
“I should probably relax on this account champs,” says Dr Disrespect while playing Warzone 2. “I mean the proximity chat. This isn’t even my account. They banned the other one for seven days for using proximity chat. Believe it or not champs .”
In a current on [date]Dr Disrespect said he was playing on an alternate account and “didn’t want to say anything [about the ban] really because I don’t really care champs I really don’t.” He goes on to say how much he doesn’t care multiple times as his viewers ask for some clarity on why he was suspended.
Dr Disrespect then puts on a childish voice and says “you can’t say that, you can’t say that, let’s take an example,” criticizing the community team responsible for banning him.
He then answers a question in chat about the reason for the ban. “It wasn’t pussy? Yes, yes it was,” said Dr Disrespect. “These people are just so out of touch.”
Dr Disrespect is fighting a team as he says this, and at this point you very clearly hear one of his opponents shouting over the proximity chat (referring to the streamer): “There you go, kill that n*****, let’s go . “
The streamer then vents some of the frustration he’s clearly feeling over the decision: “But you’re going to ban me right before a $100,000 tournament for seven days? Over a goddamn clip, it’s just… it’s crazy how out of— touch these people are.”
It’s worth emphasizing that Dr Disrespect’s business model is based on playing Call of Duty and taking shots at Call of Duty: so he has an interest in saying provocative things about the game and has never previously been shy about criticizing it. So this is just another grievance to add to the pile.
Warzone 2 features anti-toxicity tools introduced with Modern Warfare 2, which Activision Blizzard says are “fundamental” to the future of the series (opens in a new tab). Essentially, this is an overhauled in-game reporting system, combined with new tools for the publisher’s moderation team to deal with problem players, and allows complaints to add some context. Other games, however, go further, with Valorant analyzing voice chat files to weed out harassment: perhaps Dr Disrespect should steer clear of it.
