Felix Lengyel, better known as xQc, is one of the most controversial figures in gaming and streaming. With millions of followers, the Canadian has been at the forefront of Twitch and Kick and has been involved in some wild controversies over the years.
Biggest xQc controversies
xQc got banned for cheating
During the olden days of lockdowns and the absolute rule of COVID-19, two games stood out: Among Us and Fall Guys. The latter eventually made its way to Twitch tournament GlitchCon. There, xQc resorted to unfair methods, stream-sniping his opponents. xQc was then banned from both GlitchCon and the platform. When he returned a week later, he was forbidden from participating in any official Twitch events in the following months. The ban was his longest yet, but by no means his last.
His infamous streamer tier list
One of the biggest controversies on Twitch and in the streaming world was xQc’s streamer tier list. By placing several streamers in lower tiers and himself on top, xQc angered many, including political commentator Hasanabi, who was more than furious with xQc for placing him in B tier. Hasan said he didn’t care for the ranking, but that grew into constant rants and criticism of xQc, particularly his gambling.
Later, Hasan went on to allege the only reason for xQc placing him in the B-tier was the former wouldn’t invite him on his talk show. He added xQc takes millions to advertize gambling to children and he “hates him a little.”
Suspended from Overwatch League for homophobic comments
Many forget xQc had an entire career before becoming a streaming personality. He was one of the most prominent Overwatch players, which is what got him going on Twitch in the first place.
During his tenure with Dallas Fuel, xQc was known to be highly toxic towards teammates and enemies alike. At one point, he hurled comments toward fellow Overwatch star Muma which were labeled as homophobic. Muma had publically come out as gay before these comments, and they netted xQc a $2,000 fine and a suspension. He was also dropped by Dallas Fuel after other comments on social media, for which he was fined $4,000.
Banned from an RP server
xQc’s persistence in doing one single thing to death is unprecedented, and his tenure with the NoPixel GTA V roleplay server is proof enough. xQc has been repeatedly banned from NoPixel for various offenses but somehow kept getting unbanned and returning. It was all fun and games until xQc was given a permanent ban for breaking RP rules. He killed a cop on purpose without building the narrative of a known killer (narratives are important on RP) and that was reason enough to get him a permanent ban. However, in 2023, xQc became the co-owner of NoPixel in a fantastic turn of fate, and if that doesn’t illustrate him, I don’t know what will.
He caused Twitch to ban gambling
XQc has been repeatedly named one of the worst offenders for on-stream gambling. He popularized the concept to such a degree that many others tried copying him, and that eventually prompted Twitch to ban gambling entirely from its platform. xQc continues to do gambling streams to this day and allegedly gets paid for them.
Banned from Overwatch for spamming reports
XQc was tired and decided to spam report an Overwatch player using the reporting system. xQc reported the player unjustifiably for all offenses and even typed “f**k you” in his reports, which prompted Blizzard to suspend him in the middle of a match for 72 hours.
xQc shook up streaming by moving to Kick
In a similar vein to what Epic does with platform exclusivity, Kick tried to pull all the major figures from Twitch’s library of streamers and offered them obscenely high deals. xQc was one of those, signing a $100 million deal with the platform. Pokimane criticized xQc for the move due to Kick being backed by a gambling company and xQc hosting gambling streams at increased levels.
He commented on women in esports
During the controversy between Stranger Things actress and Twitch streamer Grace Van Dien and FaZe Rain, xQc was also a prominent voice. The controversy revolved around Rain’s criticism of FaZe signing with Van Dien and other celebrities who didn’t have a gaming background to boost company numbers. xQc chimed in, speaking against hiring women based on their gender and saying “We need more skilled gamers.” xQc claimed bringing people in solely because they belong to one particular group is stupid and shouldn’t be done and more effort should be put into bringing the best of the best in terms of skill. His comments drew support and criticism.
His breakup with Adept
XQc’s relationship with Adept was marked by occasional breakups, including when the two argued over whose side of the story was true in front of 125,000 viewers. Their last one was no less significant, with xQc allegedly faced with choosing between a relationship and his family. He chose the latter. Adept challenged him in court for half of their possessions, claiming the two were married for three years. xQc said on-stream he had won the legal battle in Dec. 2023 and was no longer involved in any legal proceedings.
