Yandere Simulator is a little-known stealth/action game created by an independent developer, that also has the odd distinction of being listed among a small selection of games that have been banned by Twitch.
Only 38 games are banned on Twitch, and they run the gamut between absurdly offensive (RapeLay) to Adults Only games such as Hatred and Manhunt 2: Uncut. Broadcasting these games on the site can lead to the streamer being banned, though Yandere Simulator’s developer is confused as to why his game has been included.
Yandere Simulator features an anime art style and a cast of teens, but as its developer points out in a video detailing his problems with Twitch, it doesn’t appear to include anything that isn’t already featured in a game that Twitch has allowed to be broadcast on the site. Twitch has also refused to respond to the developer’s queries regarding the game’s ban, leading to more confusion surrounding why Yandere Simulator appears to have been singled out.
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The game sees players assuming the role of a high school girl who becomes besotted with her “senpai,” who then proceeds to go on a murderous rampage of any potential love rivals. It’s weird, yes, but as pointed out by its developer, its various “mature” themes have been showcased in other games that have not been banned on Twitch, from South Park: The Stick of Truth through to Grand Theft Auto V. The video he has posted regarding the controversy has now garnered over 460,000 views in less than a day, with viewers contacting Twitch in their droves in order to learn why they’ve laid the ban hammer down upon this particular game.
The most likely reasoning behind the ban is the ambiguous age of its characters. Although its cast are certainly styled to appear older than its setting would suggest, it’s still risky for Twitch to allow a game potentially containing themes of high school romance to be broadcast on the site. However, that still wasn’t the case for Summer-Colored High School, a game with obtusely sexual themes containing underage characters that Twitch happily allows to be broadcast on the site. So what gives?
Yandere Simulator has now been banned from Twitch for over a year, but its developer and his supporters are making strong efforts to finally get to the bottom of this mystery. Hopefully they will receive an answer and this gray area in Twitch’s approach to banned games will finally be cleared up.
