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Look up pogchamp or pog in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The PogChamp emote on Twitch since 2021, which uses the same Komodo dragon image as the KomodoHype emote.
Cropped screenshot of Ryan Gutierrez used for the most popular variant of the original PogChamp emoticon

PogChamp is an emote used on the streaming platform Twitch intended to express excitement, intrigue, joy or shock.[1][2][3][4] The image originally depicted streamer Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez with a surprised or shocked expression,[5] which originated from a YouTube video uploaded to Gutierrez's channel, Cross Counter TV, on November 26, 2010.[6][7][4] The original emote was added to Twitch's pool of global emotes in 2012 and was later removed in January 2021, after Gutierrez expressed support for the January 6 United States Capitol attack.[8] Twitch responded to calls to revive the emote by alternating between several unique designs every 24 hours, each using a similar expression,[9] and eventually allowed viewers to vote on one of these faces to become the permanent replacement during what they called "The PogChampening".[10] Users voted for an image of a Komodo dragon, which is also the basis for the KomodoHype emote.

Ryan Gutierrez was initially reluctant to allow Twitch to use his likeness for the original PogChamp emote, but soon made a deal to allow its use for between US$50,000 and US$100,000 and undisclosed additional concessions.[11]

The emote, like others on Twitch, is displayed at a very small size of 56 by 56 pixels. PC Gamer described the PogChamp emote as "one of the most ubiquitous emotes in Twitch history [...] used to react to decisive moments",[12] while Kotaku stated it "[indicated] surprise and hype".[13] CNN describes the use of PogChamp as a gamer's expression for excitement, expanding the use of the PogChamp emote to the word PogChamp and its variants "Pog" and "Poggers" to describe "particularly awesome" moments.[4] Emotes in general have been reported by CNN to be popularly used "ad nauseum [sic]" during moments while gamer activity is livestreamed.[4] Given the long history of the use of the PogChamp emote and its variants, Twitch acknowledges the impact of PogChamp's role in shaping the culture of its streaming services.[14]

Etymology

[edit]

The term "PogChamp" refers to a 2011 promotional video called "Pogs Championship" by Gutierrez, in which he wins a game of Pogs.[15]

Usage statistics

[edit]

PogChamp was the third-most-used emote on the platform.[16] It was used a total of 813,916,297 times from January 9, 2016, until it was removed from Twitch on January 6, 2021.[17]

Removal

[edit]

Some Twitch users in 2020 petitioned for Twitch to remove Ryan Gutierrez as the face of the PogChamp emote, following numerous claims of Gutierrez promoting far-right conspiracies, such as anti-vaccination conspiracies,[18] and spreading misinformation and denial of COVID-19.[11][19]

On January 6, 2021, Twitch announced that they would remove the original PogChamp emote following comments from Gutierrez on his Twitter page supporting further civil unrest in response to the death of a participant in the United States Capitol attack occurring that day.[1][8][11][20][21] Gutierrez responded to the removal of the original PogChamp critically several weeks after the removal date, stating rhetorically at social media companies sifting through his posts to allow them to judge any negative intent about himself as a person.[citation needed] "They're looking for people that are trying to incite violence, but that's not what they found on my account. [...] So, why is it then, that Twitch seems to have decision making super powers? Because in less than three hours from when I uploaded the video, they made the decision to remove PogChamp as a global emote."[22][23]

FrankerFaceZ, a popular web browser extension for Twitch featuring custom emotes, took the decision to ban all user-upload instances and variations of Gutierrez.[24] Another similar extension named BTTV (Better Twitch TV) announced that their platform would continue hosting PogChamp-related emotes, allowing broadcasters to use their own discretion of whether they would like the emote in their chats.[25]

The Verge describes the removal of PogChamp as part of Twitch's move towards becoming more mainstream by detaching themselves from hateful behavior in the gaming community.[19][26]

Changing the face of the PogChamp emote

[edit]

Twitch later announced that they would upload a new version of the PogChamp face under the same title every 24 hours, with each replacing the last.[26][27][28] Instead of using Ryan Gutierrez's face, a different streamer was used as the face of the PogChamp emote each 24 hours, starting from January 8, 2021.[29] Twitch claimed that changing the PogChamp emote every 24 hours would prevent exclusive association with a single individual; according to Kotaku, this would help make sure that "the Eye Of Sauron Of Harassing Dickheads at least has to glance around a lot instead of focusing its fury in one place".[30][31] Although members of the Twitch community praised the diverse inclusion of various streamers, specifically those from minorities, some concern was raised by members of minority communities over Twitch doing too little to protect streamers from harassment.[30][32][33]

The first two streamers featured as PogChamp emotes were UnRooolie and UmiNoKaiju, who were Twitch Ambassadors in 2019 and 2018, respectively. Other faces included Gaules, DEERE, LittleSiha, Kahlief, Myth, and Granny, and the last streamer featured was SteveInSpawn.[34] The first instance of the PogChamp emote not using a living person reused an existing Twitch emote, "KomodoHype", a depiction of a komodo dragon with a similar facial expression to the PogChamp emote.[35] This resulted in fewer negative reactions.[36][37] KomodoHype, which was previously less popular than PogChamp, has seen a significant increase in usage since the removal of the original emote.[35]

On February 11, 2021, Twitch announced a poll that would take place the following day titled "The PogChampening", in which Twitch users would be able to vote for a new permanent PogChamp emote.[10] There were two poll options: the face of American Twitch livestreamer UmiNoKaiju, and the existing KomodoHype emote. KomodoHype won with 81% of the votes,[38] and PogChamp was permanently replaced with it. The original KomodoHype emote was kept, which left two different emotes with different names and duplicate images.[34]

Reaction to the new system

[edit]

The reception for the new changing system of the PogChamp emote has been mixed among streamers.

From streamers replacing Gutierrez

[edit]

The temporary addition of Pokémon streamer Reversal as the face of PogChamp was described as a "positive experience" overall.[30][32][33]

Omega "Critical Bard" Jones described his experience of being the face for PogChamp for a day as initially positive, though he later received comments after certain viewers who were unsatisfied that he "didn't look like PogChamp".[32] He stated that the Twitch community "[doesn't] even care about PogChamp as a person" and rather prefers to keep "what they consider to be tradition", after a response to a viewer comment about white supremacy.[32] What Jones saw as the Twitch community's reluctance to change and embrace diversity concerned him, especially given the lack of sufficient protection against "toxic elements" of the Twitch community applied by combinations of trolling, racism, and death threats.[32][33]

Drag queen Deere experienced similar trolling incidents due to negative reception posted on Twitter and Reddit about her depiction of the PogChamp emote, although with simultaneous support for her too.[30][33]

From the media

[edit]

Andy Chalk of PC Gamer described Twitch's protection against harassment as insufficient,[33] while Nick D'Orazio of InvenGlobal claimed that the regular PogChamp face changes may have "inadvertently [opened] up a whole new problem that sounds like a PR nightmare".[39]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

PogChamp

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
PogChamp is a global emote on the Twitch streaming platform, depicting an exaggerated expression of surprise from esports personality Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez captured in a 2010 YouTube blooper video during a Street Fighter commentary session by Cross Counter TV. Uploaded on November 26, 2010, the clip features Gutierrez reacting vocally to gameplay footage, with his wide-eyed, open-mouthed face becoming the basis for the emote added to Twitch in 2012. Intended to convey excitement, hype, or shock, PogChamp rapidly gained prominence as one of Twitch's most utilized emotes, ranking fifth in usage according to analytics from StreamElements prior to its alteration. In January 2021, Twitch removed the original PogChamp emote following tweets by Gutierrez in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, which the platform described as statements "encouraging further violence." The decision, announced on January 7, 2021, stemmed from Gutierrez's social media activity perceived by Twitch as incompatible with the emote's role in promoting positive community interaction, leading to its indefinite suspension. To maintain the emote's function, Twitch introduced temporary replacements using faces from other streamers and, after a community voting process, adopted variants like KomodoHype before shifting to a daily rotating selection of user-submitted hype expressions via the @PogChampOfToday account. As of 2025, the original Gootecks-based image remains absent from Twitch, with the emote now featuring diverse, temporary faces to adapt to ongoing platform policies. This evolution underscored debates over content moderation, political expression, and the cultural significance of longstanding internet memes in live streaming ecosystems.

Origins

Etymology and Inspiration

The term "pog" originated from the 1990s milk caps game known as POGs, involving the stacking and slamming of small cardboard discs to flip opponents' pieces, with "POG" referring to a popular passion fruit-orange-guava flavored drink brand whose caps were used in the game. By the early 2010s, "pog" had evolved within esports and online gaming communities to signify intense excitement, hype, or a peak moment of engagement, often chanted by spectators at fighting game tournaments. "PogChamp" merges this slang with "champ" to denote championship-level astonishment or approval, reflecting the emote's role in amplifying viewer reactions during streams. The visual inspiration for PogChamp derives from a November 26, 2010, video by Cross Counter TV, a channel focused on fighting games, depicting Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez and Mike Ross in a promotional Pogs championship match. During an outtake, Gutierrez exhibited a characteristic wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression of shock as the camera stand wobbled and nearly collapsed, prompting him to glance at Ross for confirmation of the mishap. This frozen moment, emblematic of unscripted surprise in gaming , was selected for the to visually represent the "pog" exclamation. Gutierrez, a prominent figure in the Street Fighter community, initially hesitated to commercialize his image but eventually entered a licensing agreement permitting its use as the PogChamp emote, embedding the reaction deeper into streaming vernacular.

Creation and Initial Adoption by Twitch

The PogChamp emote depicts Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez, a professional player and streamer, with an exaggerated expression of surprise featuring wide eyes and an open mouth. Twitch licensed the image from Gutierrez for use as an emote, adding it to its global emote set in 2012 as one of the platform's earliest such features available to all users regardless of subscription status. This integration occurred during Twitch's formative years, when the platform was expanding its chat functionality to enhance viewer interactivity during live streams. Initially, PogChamp served as a reactive tool in Twitch chat, where viewers spammed the to convey hype, shock, or excitement in response to streamers' in-game achievements or unexpected moments, predating its evolution into a standalone . Its adoption aligned with Twitch's emphasis on emotes as shorthand for emotional punctuation, allowing audiences to amplify communal reactions without typing full sentences. By embedding PogChamp directly into the chat interface, Twitch enabled seamless deployment during high-energy streams, particularly in competitive gaming contexts where Gutierrez himself participated.

Rise to Popularity

Usage Statistics and Metrics

PogChamp ranked consistently among the top five most-used emotes on Twitch prior to its removal in January 2021, underscoring its widespread adoption for expressing excitement during live streams. Analytics from third-party trackers indicated over 813 million total usages from its 2016 debut through early 2021, reflecting sustained popularity across millions of chat interactions. Usage volumes spiked notably during high-stakes broadcasts, where the 's deployment aligned with moments of intense viewer reactions, such as clutch plays or tournament upsets. For instance, during events like the (EVO), PogChamp appearances in chat correlated with elevated engagement, as hype-driven emote bursts often accompanied peak concurrent viewership exceeding hundreds of thousands. These patterns highlighted its utility in amplifying community responsiveness, with data from chat analytics showing emote frequency as a proxy for real-time audience investment in stream content.

Cultural Significance in Gaming and Streaming

The PogChamp emote emerged as a cornerstone of Twitch streaming culture, primarily used to convey unfiltered excitement, shock, or hype during pivotal moments in competitive gaming, such as clutch victories or surprising plays. Its exaggerated captured authentic viewer reactions, differentiating it from subtler emotes and establishing it as the archetypal symbol for peak emotional engagement in live streams. This role influenced emote design trends on Twitch and similar platforms, prioritizing visceral, meme-like visuals to elicit communal responses and heighten interactivity between streamers and audiences. Beyond Twitch, PogChamp's iconography and shorthand derivatives like "pog" and "poggers" proliferated across servers, communities, and broader online forums, adapting to express enthusiasm in gaming chats or ironic emphasis in non-gaming contexts. The term evolved into standalone for anything impressive or noteworthy, reflecting the emote's export from platform-specific reactions to general vernacular since around 2012. By enabling rapid, synchronized expressions of , PogChamp enhanced cohesion and viewer participation, transforming passive watching into participatory events that amplified the energy of gaming broadcasts. Its ubiquity, however, occasionally prompted sarcastic deployments, underscoring its versatility while highlighting the challenges of maintaining nuance in high-volume digital interactions.

The January 6, 2021 Controversy

Ryan Gutierrez's Background and Statements

Ryan Gutierrez, professionally known as Gootecks, is an American competitive player in the fighting game community, born on March 19, 1983. He gained prominence as a professional Street Fighter competitor, particularly in Street Fighter III: Third Strike, participating in major tournaments and esports events throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Gutierrez co-founded Cross Counter TV in 2013 alongside fellow player Mike Ross, producing content such as instructional videos, commentary, and the web series The Excellent Adventures of Gootecks and Mike Ross, which popularized fighting game culture on platforms like YouTube. He has also authored ebooks including Simplifying Street Fighter and contributed to community education on game mechanics and strategy. On January 6, 2021, amid the protests at the U.S. Capitol contesting the 2020 presidential election results, Gutierrez posted on (now X): "Will there be civil unrest for the woman who was executed inside the Capitol today or will the #MAGAMartyr die in vain?" The tweet referenced the shooting death of Ashli Babbitt during the breach and employed the #MAGAMartyr, aligning with narratives among some supporters of former President who viewed the Capitol events as a legitimate response to perceived election irregularities. In a video response uploaded around January 17, 2021, addressing the subsequent removal of the emote, Gutierrez clarified his intent behind the tweet, stating: "They’re looking for people that are trying to , but that’s not what they found on my account." He emphasized that had not flagged or suspended his account for incitement at the time, contrasting it with the platform's scrutiny of other high-profile figures, and argued his comments questioned the absence of broader reaction to Babbitt's rather than directly calling for . Gutierrez maintained that his statements mirrored concerns over uneven responses to political unrest, without endorsing or planning specific acts of .

Twitch's Removal Announcement and Official Justification

On January 6, 2021, Twitch announced the removal of the PogChamp emote, citing statements made by its face, Ryan Gutierrez, as encouraging "further violence after what took place in the Capitol today." The platform's official statement emphasized the intent to "eliminate any content that promotes this type of violence," noting that the emote would be replaced with one designed in collaboration with the community to better represent Twitch's values and standards. This decision came hours after the U.S. Capitol riot, directly linking the emote's fate to Gutierrez's activity perceived as supportive of the unrest. The itself, which had been a staple of Twitch since 2012 and ranked among the platform's top five most used, had no prior record of violating Twitch's community guidelines or policies. Twitch's action thus hinged not on the emote's content or historical usage—which centered on expressions of excitement in gaming contexts—but on the evolving public associations tied to its real-life representative following a politically charged event. This selective enforcement aligns with broader patterns observed in platform moderation post-January 6, where symbolic disassociation from perceived right-leaning extremism took precedence over content-neutral precedents, potentially influenced by Twitch's parent company Amazon's institutional incentives to mitigate reputational risks amid heightened scrutiny of online speech.

Replacement and Aftermath

Implementation of Rotating Emotes

Twitch introduced the rotating PogChamp emote system on January 8, 2021, two days after removing the original, as a means to sustain the emote's role in expressing excitement or shock without reliance on a single individual's image. The implementation featured platform-wide updates to the emote every 24 hours, with each iteration using a photograph of a different Twitch streamer captured in a similar wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression to mimic the original's visual impact. Announcements of the daily selections were handled through the dedicated @PogChampOfToday account, which posted the featured streamer's image and details at 12:00 EST, ensuring synchronized rollout across Twitch chats. Selection criteria prioritized active Twitch streamers—primarily partners and affiliates—who were deemed unlikely to make statements contradicting Twitch's community guidelines, particularly those prohibiting encouragement of , in response to the original emote's removal triggered by such an incident. Twitch aimed for diversity in representations, including varying demographics and gaming niches, to reflect the broader streaming community while preserving the emote's utility as a universal hype indicator. This approach decoupled the emote's function from personal controversies, allowing Twitch to maintain editorial control over its global emote library without permanent bans for transient issues. The system's design, however, introduced challenges in user familiarity, as the daily rotations meant viewers encountered less consistent imagery compared to the decade-old original, potentially diluting immediate recognizability in fast-paced chats. Streamers reported varied adoption rates, with some daily emotes gaining traction through community sharing, but overall usage metrics reflected fragmentation absent in the static predecessor's ubiquity.

Immediate Backlash and Harassment Incidents

Following the introduction of Twitch's rotating PogChamp emote on January 8, 2021, where a new streamer's face was selected daily to replace the original, several participants experienced targeted that escalated community toxicity. Streamers from marginalized groups were particularly affected, with abuse often linked to dissatisfaction over the original emote's removal and perceptions of the replacements as inadequate or politically motivated substitutes. On January 11, 2021, streamer Omega "CriticalBard" Jones was chosen as the daily PogChamp face, prompting immediate including threats, doxxing attempts, and hacking efforts directed at him and his chat. The attacks were fueled by a decontextualized clip of Jones discussing racial topics, misinterpreted on platforms like Reddit's r/LivestreamFail as endorsing "reverse ," leading to slurs denying the value of lives and demands to reinstate the prior . The following day, drag queen streamer Deere, selected for January 12, encountered transphobic abuse alongside some supportive responses, with backlash manifesting as derogatory comments on and questioning her suitability based on gender presentation. Earlier selections, such as on , saw only minor trolling without severe escalation. Twitch maintained the rotation initially but provided affected streamers with moderation support and reiterated its policy against , stating it would enforce rules on violations without detailing specific bans or interventions at the time. Jones publicly criticized the platform's response as inadequate, noting a lack of proactive measures like IP blocking for repeat offenders, though no streamers fully withdrew from the program amid the incidents.

Reactions Across Stakeholders

Responses from Streamers and Gaming Community

In the immediate aftermath of Twitch's January 6, 2021, announcement to remove the PogChamp emote, many streamers voiced frustration over the loss of a core expressive tool detached from its originator's personal views. , a prominent Twitch streamer, reacted by questioning practical replacements, stating "PogChamp is gone, what are we supposed to use now?" to highlight its role in denoting hype and shock across streams. Similarly, lamented it as "a staple," framing the removal as akin to "erasing history" from gaming culture's visual lexicon. Community responses revealed divides, with some mainstream streamers defending the action as essential for platform safety amid associations with incitement to violence, prioritizing over tradition. HasanAbi, despite his progressive leanings, critiqued the scope, calling it "a step too far" since the itself remained apolitical in use. In contrast, voices from alternative and conservative-leaning gaming subsets, including segments of the tied to Gutierrez, pushed back against perceived overreach, arguing the emote's functionality warranted separation from off-platform statements rather than outright elimination. To mitigate the void, efforts proliferated as streamers independently uploaded custom emotes replicating PogChamp's shocked expression for channel-specific use, sustaining its appeal without platform endorsement. This underscored broader attachment to the emote's over its branded origin, with usage persisting via third-party extensions like FrankerFaceZ despite Twitch's global purge.

Gutierrez's Perspective and Defenses

Ryan Gutierrez, known online as Gootecks, described Twitch's decision to remove the PogChamp emote as a "knee-jerk reaction" executed in less than three hours following his , , tweet. He argued that the platform failed to conduct , contrasting it with Twitter's retention of his account despite similar scrutiny of political content. Gutierrez denied that his statements constituted to , asserting, “They’re looking for people that are trying to incite , but that’s not what they found on my account.” In a later , he elaborated that interpreting his tweet as encouragement for required a predisposed , stating, “Only a violent person would read what I said and think that!” He maintained that his personal political opinions on were distinct from the emote's non-partisan use in gaming contexts, where it had been deployed millions of times without association to his views. The removal resulted in substantial financial repercussions for Gutierrez, who had earned approximately $50,000 annually from PogChamp's monetized cheermote usage, in addition to an upfront licensing payment estimated between $50,000 and $100,000 for Twitch's perpetual rights to his likeness. He highlighted this as an erasure of a culturally significant asset tied to his identity, despite users largely employing it agnostic to its origin. Supporters echoed this separation, framing his tweets as protected political expression unrelated to endorsing violence or linking the emote's neutral exclamatory function to partisan actions.

Media and Platform Criticisms

Media coverage of Twitch's removal of the original PogChamp emote on January 6, 2021, predominantly framed the action as a necessary stand against endorsing violence, aligning with the platform's community guidelines. Outlets such as reported the decision as a direct response to Ryan Gutierrez's statements encouraging further unrest after the Capitol riot, emphasizing Twitch's commitment to preventing the emote from symbolizing violence. Similarly, The Verge described the ban as prompted by Gutierrez's tweets promoting additional violence, portraying it as a proactive measure to disassociate the platform from insurrectionist . These reports, from gaming media sources often critiqued for left-leaning biases in political coverage, largely omitted scrutiny of Twitch's prior tolerance for politically charged emotes, presenting the move as unequivocally justified without exploring enforcement inconsistencies. Critics highlighted selective enforcement in Twitch's moderation, arguing that the platform retained emotes linked to other controversial or politically aligned figures while swiftly targeting PogChamp due to its association with right-leaning commentary. noted Twitch's alignment with broader tech industry actions—such as those by , , and —in removing content tied to the Capitol events, suggesting corporate pressures, including from parent company Amazon, influenced the decision to prioritize optics over uniform policy application. This raised questions about whether the removal reflected genuine anti-violence principles or selective responsiveness to high-profile political pressures, particularly given Twitch's history of slower action on left-associated controversies. In the aftermath of targeting temporary PogChamp replacements, Twitch internally acknowledged persistent issues, stating that "hateful conduct and stand in the way" of fostering positive communities. This response, issued amid reports of racist and threats against selected emote faces, underscored platform self-critique on failures but also highlighted the unintended escalation of on-platform vitriol following the initial removal.

Broader Implications and Legacy

Debates on Platform Moderation and Free Speech

Twitch's decision to remove the PogChamp emote on , 2021, ignited discussions on whether such actions represent legitimate or excessive interference in political expression. As a private company, Twitch invoked its authority under prohibiting content that glorifies or encourages violence, citing Gutierrez's tweet questioning if there would be "civil unrest" over the shooting of Ashli Babbitt during the Capitol events, which they interpreted as promoting further unrest. Critics, including voices in gaming communities, argued this stretched the definition of , as the statement expressed over a specific rather than calling for attacks, potentially punishing from the dominant portrayal of as an "insurrection" rather than a amid disputes. The tension highlights broader conflicts between platforms' operational autonomy and user expectations of neutrality, given Twitch's dominant market position in live streaming, which some equate to a public utility-like where heavy-handed erodes trust. Proponents of stricter emphasize that free speech protections under the First Amendment apply only to actions, not private firms curating their ecosystems to avoid liability or advertiser backlash. However, skeptics of this approach point to systemic biases in media and tech institutions, which often amplify narratives aligning with left-leaning viewpoints—such as uniformly framing participants as insurgents—while marginalizing evidence-based counterarguments, like federal data showing over 90% of arrests involved non-violent offenses, fostering perceptions of against conservative-leaning speech. This incident set a for platforms to disassociate from individuals based on off-platform political statements, raising concerns over chilling effects on discourse about election integrity, where questioning 2020 vote certification—central to motivations—became equated with violence endorsement. Right-leaning commentators viewed the removal as emblematic of broader suppression, arguing it reinforces a causal chain where platforms, influenced by institutional pressures, preemptively censor to align with prevailing orthodoxies rather than neutral . Empirical trends post-removal, including streamer migrations to alternatives like (launched December 2022 with over 1,000 creators by mid-2023 citing moderation frustrations), suggest such decisions may accelerate fragmentation toward less restrictive venues.

Long-Term Impact on Emote Culture and Twitch Policies

The removal of the original emote prompted Twitch to introduce a daily rotating system on , 2021, featuring faces from various community streamers to embody the hype expression and avoid dependency on a single individual. This innovation diversified representations, enabling broader community participation in global emote culture, but it also fragmented usage patterns as chats displayed inconsistent variants, potentially eroding the unified iconic status that had defined PogChamp's cultural dominance. While the rotation showcased diverse expressions of excitement, it exposed drawbacks, including harassment directed at featured streamers, which highlighted risks of transient personal associations in emote design. By February 2021, Twitch transitioned to KomodoHype—a non-human komodo dragon variant—as a permanent replacement, prioritizing stability and neutrality to preserve the emote's utility without human-related liabilities. This shift contributed to a more cautious emote culture, favoring abstract or vetted designs that sustain expressive diversity while minimizing controversy, though at the cost of the original's personalized relatability. On the policy front, the PogChamp incident informed Twitch's expanded enforcement of conduct guidelines, including a April 2021 update applying rules to serious off-platform violations, which implicitly raised standards for emote creators' public behavior. Subsequent selections reflected heightened vetting to align with platform values, reducing reliance on individual faces prone to external and fostering a resilient framework for global emotes amid evolving community dynamics. Overall, PogChamp variants maintained sustained popularity in fragmented forms, underscoring the 's enduring role in Twitch interactions despite structural adaptations.

Current Status as of 2025

As of October 2025, Twitch continues to use KomodoHype—a Komodo dragon illustration—as the permanent face of the PogChamp emote, a replacement selected in February 2021 after the initial daily rotation experiment faced harassment issues. The original emote featuring Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez's image remains un-reinstated, with no announcements from Twitch indicating a reversal despite ongoing discussions in gaming communities. While direct usage of PogChamp on Twitch has declined from its peak popularity—once among the platform's top s—the term "Pog" and its expressive connotation for hype or shock persist in broader and memes, appearing in non-Twitch contexts like and gaming discourse. Gutierrez, in a July 29, 2025, YouTube interview, reiterated his professional identity as a fighting game commentator predating and outlasting the emote's fame, stating he remains "Gutex" irrespective of its pixelated legacy. This reflects stabilized platform policy amid reduced cultural centrality for the emote itself.

References

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  34. https://www.esportstalk.com/news/face-of-pogchamp-emote-gootecks-throws-shade-in-response-video/
  35. https://x.com/Twitch/status/1347003152222937088
  36. https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22218088/twitch-bans-pogchamp-poggers-capitol-trump-violence-gootecks
  37. https://www.polygon.com/2021/1/6/22218059/pogchamp-twitch-removed-emote-ryan-gootecks-gutierrez-trump-capitol-hill/
  38. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/tech/pogchamp-emote-banned-capitol-hill-trnd
  39. https://www.ign.com/articles/twitch-new-pogchamp-emote-random
  40. https://www.pcgamer.com/twitch-will-rotate-in-a-new-pogchamp-emote-every-24-hours-from-now-on/
  41. https://thenextweb.com/news/twitchs-rotating-pogchamp-is-a-clever-replacement-for-the-banned-emote
  42. https://www.polygon.com/2021/1/12/22227728/twitch-pogchamp-daily-emotes-critical-bard/
  43. https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/13/22229209/criticalbard-pogchamp-gootecks-hasanabi-twitch-emote-harassment
  44. https://www.pcgamer.com/twitchs-new-pogchamp-rotation-results-in-racist-harassment-and-threats/
  45. https://afkgaming.com/esports/news/6184-twitch-streamers-react-to-pogchamp-emote-being-banned
  46. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7HYoakBf9Q
  47. https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/gootecks-is-still-upset-at-twitch-for-removing-his-pogchamp-emote-1637692/
  48. https://kotaku.com/twitchs-pogchamp-removal-was-never-enough-and-now-its-1846035307
  49. https://www.thegamer.com/pogchamp-emote-twitch-toxicity-problem/
  50. https://www.the-sun.com/lifestyle/tech-old/2096405/pogchamp-emote-removed-twitch/
  51. https://abmo227.medium.com/memes-are-a-staple-on-the-internet-fd47510bae69
  52. https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/rising-responsibilities-twitch
  53. https://www.rebelnews.com/twitch_bans_popular_emote_after_star_calls_for_civil_unrest
  54. https://www.pcmag.com/news/twitch-selects-a-permanent-replacement-for-its-pogchamp-emote
  55. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2021/04/07/twitch-conduct-policy-change/
  56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3bXdJQ7kow
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