Twitch viewbotting controversy grows as Asmongold and Hasan Piker trade claims using live stream analytics numbers online (Image via Getty)
Zack Hoyt, known online as Asmongold, found himself at the center of new viewbotting talk this week. The issue started during a live Twitch stream on January 9, 2026. Another popular streamer, Hasan Piker, also known as HasanAbi, reacted after Asmongold opened analytics pages on stream. The moment quickly spread across Twitch and social media. Viewbotting means fake viewers or followers are added to a channel. It is a serious claim because it questions how real a creator’s audience is. Both streamers denied doing anything wrong. They also said third parties can send fake followers without permission. What made this story bigger was how both creators accused each other of hypocrisy. The discussion did not stay on Twitch. It moved to X, where screenshots, numbers, and old claims were shared. Here is a clear and simple look at what happened, why it matters, and what each side said.
Asmongold and Hasan Piker dispute grows after Twitch analytics stream and X exchanges
During his January 9 stream, Zack Hoyt opened Hasan Piker’s public analytics on TwitchTracker. While looking at the follower graph, Asmongold said, “I will see if he is doing it today or not.” The chart showed a fast rise in followers soon after Hasan started streaming. Asmongold reacted with confusion and sarcasm, saying, “What is this show? I am confused by what I am seeing.”Hasan Piker replied on his own stream and said the growth was not his doing. He explained that fake followers often get added without warning. Hasan said, “I get follower botted often. That is something I cannot control.”Right after that, Asmongold made his position clear. He said he was not blaming Hasan for the spike. He explained that outside groups can cause these jumps. However, he also said it felt unfair to be accused often. Asmongold said, “I am not holding Hasan responsible. But it feels wrong to accuse me again when this also happens to his channel.”Later, Hasan questioned Asmongold’s numbers. He compared subscriber counts, viewers, and chat activity. Hasan said, “He has around 7,000 subscribers with about 61,000 viewers. I have more subscribers with fewer viewers. You can also look at active chatters.”The argument then moved to X. Hasan claimed that after Twitch removed bots in August 2025, Asmongold’s views dropped. For context, Twitch did confirm a large bot cleanup last year, which affected many channels.Asmongold replied by sharing his own TwitchTracker data. He said the claims were wrong and posted, “This information is false.” Hasan answered again, saying Asmongold’s numbers still looked unusual. Asmongold ended the exchange by posting a photo of a smiling seal.Around the same time, several streamers said their channels were affected by bot activity, showing this problem is not limited to one creator.Also Read: Twitch Streamer Zack “Asmongold” Sparks Backlash After Defending ICE Officer In Minneapolis Shooting Incident, Elon Musk Reacts
