Twitch reinstates the account of iShowSpeed, ending a ban that lasted nearly two years

iShowSpeed is now eligible for a return to Twitch. Nearly two years after receiving a ban on the Amazon-owned platform, the streamer known as “Speed” has had his account reactivated.

Speed, (real name is Darren Watkins, Jr.) earned himself a Twitch ban in December 2021 during an appearance on Adin Ross’ stream. The then-16-year-old creator was permanently barred from his own account after making sexually threatening comments toward model Ash Kash.

In an apology posted months later on his social channels, Speed lamented his “stupid and immature behavior” and suggested that he has room for growth. “I am 17 now, I was 16 when that happened and made a huge mistake,” he said.

The Twitch ban didn’t slow Speed down. Thanks to his activity on other platforms, especially YouTube, he emerged as a breakout star. He won Streamy Awards in consecutive years in 2022 and 2023, and he made a splash on the edgy streaming platform Rumble by launching The Kai ‘N’ Speed Show alongside record-breaking Twitch star Kai Cenat.

Cenat’s lobbying may have helped Speed get reinstated on Twitch. At the 2023 Streamys, the co-hosts of the Kai ‘N’ Speed Show

appealed to Twitch CEO Dan Clancy. “You gotta unban him,” Cenat said in a widely-circulated clip. “If he don’t unban Speed, he’s done.” Clancy responded coyly by claiming that he had not yet installed the Twitch app on his new phone.

Twitch has plenty of reasons to heed Cenat’s requests. The world-beating streamer has expressed frustrations regarding Twitch’s policies and has openly flirted with a move to upstart rival Kick. Clancy, who has positioned himself as a populist since replacing Emmett Shear as Twitch’s CEO, can point to Speed’s unbanning as his latest community-friendly move.

No matter the reasoning behind Speed’s unbanning, the result is clear. Within hours of his reinstatement, the 18-year-old pushed his Twitch follower count above 239,000, even though he hasn’t gone live on the channel or even acknowledged his unbanning.

We’ll update this post with any comments from Speed about his new status. The streamer hasn’t shared his feelings just yet, though I bet I can guess the move he used to celebrate his return to Twitch.