The content may not be as extreme as Hatred, BMX XXX or The Guy Game, but nevertheless Yandere Simulator is no longer permitted on Twitch.
Twitch is the reigning king among video game broadcasting platforms. With over 1 million users ranging from casual weekend gamers to professional sports outlets and developers, Twitch users can tune in and find a live broadcast of just about video game or eSports tournament. The platform allows broadcasters to place an “age gate” or mature content warning on their own channels as a preemptive warning, however some games are just too “inappropriate” for Twitch.
A handful of games are prohibited from being shown on Twitch.tv for a multitude of reasons, though some have been brought into question in the past; several AO-Adults Only and unrated games are banned for their sexual nature or violence, including Hatred, Battle Rape and the Italian 32-bit FPS Grezzo Due, while a number of Visual Novels are on the list- mainly the Sakura titles- for a lack of actual “gameplay” and borderline hentai content. In some cases, a game can be prohibited on Twitch, but its base version is completely acceptable; Indigo Prophecy and GTA: San Andreas are allowed, however Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy – Director’s Cut and San Andreas – Hot Coffee are both banned due to sexual content.
Anyone who broadcasts a game from Twitch’s list of prohibited titles will have their account banned from the service.
The Indie and internet sensation Yandere Simulator is the latest game to find itself on Twitch’s list of banned games. Based on a subgenre of Japanese media of the same name, the core of Yandere Simulator revolves around a high school girl who’s willing to eliminate anyone standing between her and her crush, by any means necessary. The player must have the stealth and creativity of a hitman, as other girls must be eliminated through abstract means; from staging accidents and framing other students, to electrifying the women’s bathroom at school.
To the surprise of many, including “YandereDev” himself, Yandere Simulator was added to Twitch’s list of prohibited games last week. Twitch has yet to clarify the reason for its listing, nor has the developer received an official statement from the broadcasting platform. The latest vlog from YandereDev sheds light on some of the potentially offensive content within Yandere Simulator, however many of these elements are found in games still allowed on Twitch; GTAV, Saints Row IV and the Senran Kagura franchise for example, are still allowed on Twitch despite the nature of some missions and unlockable content, including first-person sex scenes, a strip-tease, and plenty of “fanservice”.
It’s possible that Yandere‘s listing may be in part to some of the methods for killing off rival schoolgirls; one of the darker methods of killing a schoolgirl involves bullying her until she commits suicide; one of the negative outcomes of 2015’s episodic tale Life is Strange also results in a character committing suicide, however the game is still allowed on Twitch. The developer is willing to change aspects of Yandere Simulator to adhere with Twitch once he receives an official response so long as they are not tied with gameplay elements.
An ever-updating build of Yandere Simulator can be downloaded for free through the official development blog.
ThePlatformer 