In September 2022, Jan Böhmermann denounced German Twitch streamers like Trymacs and MontanaBlack in his show ZDF Magazin Royale for tempting children and teenagers to gamble by opening lootboxes in FIFA. A year later, MontanaBlack currently has the world’s largest Twitch stream on EA FC 24, opening up Lootboxes. But Trymacs had a rethink.
That was the story a year ago:
- On September 16, 2022, satirist Jan Böhmermann addressed the topic of “Lootboxes” in his ZDF broadcast (via youtube).
- In doing so, he appeared as a parody of the German Twitch streamer MontanaBlack and indirectly accused German streamers of enthusiastically buying and opening live Lootboxes, thus contributing to a normalization of Lootboxes. The implied accusation was that they were using it to playfully make children and young people think how great gambling was.
- MontanaBlack agreed with the gist of the criticism, but said it wasn’t his responsibility to do anything about it. That would have to be done by the government. Trymacs said that Böhmermann was not referring to him with his criticism. He had always been critical of EA. But his chat corrected: Yes, he was meant.
Trymacs understood criticism – MontanaBlack apparently not
Has the call brought anything? Meanwhile the successor of FIFA 22 and FIFA 23 has been released, the game EA Sports FC 24.
The world’s largest Twitch stream on the soccer game has once again MontanaBlack, who just opens Lootboxes with Solution. His criticism of the system was that he complained that women are now included in the lootboxes. He said that this reduces the chance of drawing male players, which he wants because he can relate to them.
Trymacs, who had distanced himself from FIFA in the meantime, has also announced that he will show the game on Twitch. However, the 29-year-old has since developed a critical attitude towards lootboxes.
He says he will show the soccer game, but only modes like Pro Clubs or the career mode. He won’t be playing the “Ultimate Team” lootbox mode. That’s a “complete online casino” for kids, Trymacs says.
Gambling is at an all-time high on Twitch
What else about gambling on Twitch? Although Twitch officially banned casino streams from the provider Stake on Twitch in 2022, one year on, gambling on Twitch is at an all-time high.
But in English-speaking Twitch, people don’t open packs in FIFA, they open Lootboxes in CS:GO. An early gaming star like Ninja is so enthusiastic that he even does it at weddings. DrDisrespect is also addicted to opening boxes.
Streamers who previously showed casino, like xQc or Trainwreck are now making boxes in CS:GO. There, too, it’s all about studs and high winners.
Especially with the simultaneous release of Counter-Strike 2 and E Sports FC, which are only a few days apart, it seems that Twitch is once again experiencing a high time for lootboxes and gambling.
Read more about Jan Böhmermann’s criticism and the show here:
MontanaBlack on criticism of Twitch streamers by ZDF Magazin Royale: “Everyone is responsible for themselves”