Hasan Piker is one of Twitch's most popular streamers, known as a left-wing commentator. Politics on Twitch is often a fraught topic, with many streamers preferring to stick to less controversial subjects. That is not the case for Piker, who goes by HasanAbi and has been suspended from the platform before for contentious political statements. He was also briefly banned in 2019 for allegedly interacting with streaming equipment while driving. His recent controversy, however, has nothing to do with any particular statement or Twitch rules violation. Like many streamers, Piker has found incredible success on the platform, and he recently upgraded his living situation by purchasing a $2.7 million property in Los Angeles.
In 2020, HasanAbi's Twitch became the most popular on the entire platform as he broke down the US Presidential election. Another notable achievement was helping raise over $200,000 for eviction defense legal aid, community support organizations, and food pantries in collaboration with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a record-breaking Among Us stream. Many of Piker's streaming achievements (and controversies) are tied to his political leanings. His 1.5 million followers on Twitch routinely tune in to hear him discuss current events, politics, and a myriad of other topics, but his high profile meant this home purchase was leaked, and as a result his advocacy was put under intense public scrutiny.
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Why Did HasanAbi Move?
Although some Twitch streamers like Jerma are playing real-life Sims, finding a home is never that easy in real life. According to Piker, he was looking for a larger house to give his parents (and himself) ample space to work and live comfortably. He has been streaming out of a two-bedroom apartment that he shares with his family for the last several years, which heavily influenced the decision to buy the new five-bedroom house. Piker is Turkish, and worked with his uncle Cenk Uygur at The Young Turks for several years before branching out into solo Twitch streams.
The LA location makes sense when HasanAbi's Twitch career is considered. His IRL streams featuring other content creators are popular, so a prime influencer location would be understandably important. In a follow up stream discussing the "controversy," Piker also talked about his meteoric rise to fame in the last couple of years, and the amount of money he made from Twitch. Alongside clarifying his reasons for moving, he argued that the entire debate was a product of an "outrage cycle" in media, and that the criticisms of his house purchase were fairly reductive.
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Why Does It Matter?
News of Piker's house purchase was leaked on a site called "Realtor.com," in a move that Piker described as "semi-doxxing" on stream. It was very quickly picked up by online political pundits (including streamer Destiny, who has publicly clashed with HasanAbi on many occasions). Twitch's problem with harrassment is well documented, and the potential problems with someone's housing information being leaked are obvious.
Piker's housing hopes received criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Various conservative commentators, liberal analysts, and leftist critics alike argued that buying such an expensive house contradicted Piker's takes on billionaires like Jeff Bezos. Some of these even manifested in HasanAbi getting death threats about his house. The less extreme criticism tended toward mockery of Piker's position, contrasting his socialist tendencies with the hugely expensive property.
On the other hand, many high-profile streamers like Asmongold took Piker's side in the discourse. In his tweet on the matter, Asmongold remarked that buying an expensive house does not impact HasanAbi's messaging on socialist issues in any way.
Arguments like the ones Asmongold criticized have been leveled against prominent left-wing figures for a long time. During his run in the Democratic party primaries, Bernie Sanders received scrutiny over owning pricy houses tpp. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's Among Us plays did not stop any criticisms of her wearing expensive clothing during a magazine photoshoot. Asmongold's point stands, as Piker's property purchases do not necessarily devalue the reach and positive impact of events like the sponsored AOC charity stream he helped organize.
What Was HasanAbi's Reaction?
After the news of the house acquisition leaked, Piker leapt on stream in response. During the stream, Piker broke down the criticisms against him in his usual analytical style – full of mirth, concise rebuttals, and the occasional angry tirade. Despite all this turmoil, he seems to be in relatively high spirits, if his posts on Twitter are anything to go by.
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