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12-year-old Fortnite star banned from Twitch for lying about his age

He can still stream on YouTube—thanks to his mom.

Photo of Josh Katzowitz

Josh Katzowitz

h1ghsky1 twitch ban youtube streaming

Twitch booted a Fortnite star from its platform after learning that the gamer was only 12-years-old. But thanks to his mom, H1ghSky1 will get to keep streaming on YouTube.

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The revelation that popular streamer H1ghSky1 had been signed to the esports group when he was underage came about from Twitch star Tfue’s decision to sue esports organization FaZe Clan. Tfue accused FaZe Clan of claiming H1ghSky1 was 13 years old, the minimum age for somebody to stream on Twitch, even though the Fortnite gamer was actually 11 when he signed a contract.

Earlier this week, Twitch suspended the channel of H1ghSky1, who had nearly 500,000 followers. Now, H1ghSky1 has admitted that he’s only 12, but he’s getting around the Twitch ban by taking his talents to YouTube.

“Yes, I am 12,” H1ghSky1 said in video captured by the Fortnite Poggers YouTube channel. “I only lied so I could fulfill my dream of streaming. It’s been my dream for a long time. I’m sorry I lied. But yeah.”

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqy0HgDJg-0

YouTube’s rules state that if a minor is accompanied by a parent, the child can continue to stream even if under the age of 13. H1ghsky1’s YouTube channel has nearly 900,000 subscribers.

“We updated enforcement of our live streaming policy to specifically disallow younger minors from live streaming unless they are clearly accompanied by an adult,” YouTube wrote on its blog. “Channels not in compliance with this policy may lose their ability to live stream.”

So it wasn’t surprising to hear the voice of H1ghsky1’s mother as she sat with him as he played video games. She also appeared on camera with him.

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“You are my genius,” his mother said. “You are young, and you are amazing.”

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“OK, mom,” her son said.

FaZe Clan announced it had signed H1ghSky1 last March. But Upcomer reported that the child was actually 11, and Tfue accused FaZe of pressuring “the minor and his family to lie about H1ghSky1’s true age.” He’s won more than $5,000 playing in Fortnite tournaments during his brief career.

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The Daily Dot