Battle Royale shooter PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds requires players to kill their opponents to survive as the last man standing, but PlayerUnknown himself believes that the violence should stay in the confines of the game.
Popular streamer Dr. DisRespect has been banned from the game due to crossing this line, which will hopefully set a precedent for other video game titles.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Bans Streamer For Breaking Rules, Violent Threats
The feud between Brendan Greene, more popularly known as PlayerUnknown, and Dr. DisRespect started when the streamer intentionally killed a teammate in a game of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. The incident was for laughs, as there was not enough room for four players to ride a motorcycle in the game, prompting Dr. DisRespect to shoot the fourth member of his team.
However, while PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds pushes players into an every-man-for-himself scenario, there is a strict policy in the game against killing teammates. Dr. DisRespect was then suspended from the game for the violent virtual act.
Things did not end there, however, as Dr. DisRespect, true to his character, engaged in a tense Twitter war with Greene. Dr. DisRespect then threatened to kick Greene in the chest, prompting this reply from Greene:
Suggesting violence is the best way to solve a disagreement is just wrong, even if you are playing a character... https://t.co/ziQtkyyg8E
— PLAYERUNKNOWN (@BattleRoyaleMod) July 18, 2017
While the man behind the persona of Dr. DisRespect likely did not mean any harm with his words and was simply playing the character he created, Greene took the threats of violence seriously, despite knowing that it was just a joke.
Greene narrated a story from his college days wherein a disagreement with a flat mate led to a kick to his chest that sent his head through a plate glass door. The story was an example of how violent threats should not be the subject of jokes, as these statements may have unintended effects to people who read them.
The Rise of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Sales of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds reached 2 million copies after just five weeks in Steam's Early Access program. Despite not yet being complete, the game has amassed a massive following due to its unique Battle Royale gameplay.
However, the PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds full release initially expected to be within September, has been pushed back to the fourth quarter of the year. Meanwhile, the team behind PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds continues to work on adding new features, including a first-person only server that will provide a tougher challenge to hardcore players.
While Greene may be accused of taking Dr. DisRespect's joke too seriously, we know that he and his team are also serious in further developing PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.
