Why Is Streamer xQc Facing Flack For His 'Reaction' Content? The xQc Vs. Ethan Klein Debate Explained

Kick streamer xQc has found himself mired in controversy after several creators on the internet accused him of reposting their content under the guise of "reacting" to it. While reaction-style content has been an internet staple for over a decade, xQc's new $100 million dollar deal with streaming platform Kick has irked smaller creators who feel like he benefits from their content without adequate compensation being given to them.

After Fair Use proponent Ethan Klein of h3h3productions called xQc a "content thief," the two engaged in a bizarre debate that involved xQc doing the worm and saying Ethan hired "paid actors" to malign his name. Here's a recap of the events.

Who Is xQc And Why Are People Criticizing His Content?

xQc is a French-Canadian streamer who initially rose to fame as a professional Overwatch player before becoming a Twitch streamer. He's known for his manic attitude and video game skills, with an audience primarily comprised of younger viewers. But streaming on the internet is an arduous job, with streamers broadcasting themselves for several if not most hours of their day. As his fame grew, xQc began to incorporate "reaction" style content into his streams, where he could relax and watch internet videos while his followers watched with him.

In late July 2023, xQc posted a video where he "reacted" to a viral video made by YouTuber LEMMiNO, titled, "The Kennedy Assassination: Inside the Book Depository." xQc's reaction to LEMMiNO's video was posted on the same day to the same platform, and gathered over 400,000 views. Many viewers felt like xQc added nothing of note to the video, and instead effectively stole viewers that could have engaged with LEMMiNO's content directly.

Fellow YouTuber Mutahar of SomeOrdinaryGamers led the charge in criticizing xQc by painstakingly laying out the various reasons why his style of reaction content could hurt content creators that take great efforts to research and release their work. But xQc disagreed, leading to a raucous Twitter debate.

How Did Internet Users React To xQc's Defence?

YouTubers and streamers familiar with reaction style content attempted to differentiate between xQc's lackluster additions to videos made by other people, with YouTuber NeoExplains sharing a clip where xQc can be seen watching his video, and then leaving the room for several minutes while the video continues to play.

This video shows xQc 'reacting' to my video.

He leaves the room 5 seconds into the video and then returns 10 minutes later, making a mockery out of the fact that he is not reacting. pic.twitter.com/wfwWrigEx4

— neo (@NeoExplains) August 1, 2023

One YouTuber, Ethan Klein from h3h3productions, went so far as to call xQc a "content thief." This prompted xQc to challenge him to a debate, which went just as well as you might expect. Between xQc's admission of being severely sleep deprived and his defensive-to-a-fault attitude, the debate devolved into name-calling, with xQc doing the worm and accusing Ethan of hiring "paid actors" to malign him.

God damnit xQc…You caught me red handed pic.twitter.com/3Z4UudRqof

— Vince Vintage (@_vincevintage) August 8, 2023

H3 vs. xQc debate on react content ends in them both just insulting each other and X doing the worm pic.twitter.com/NqO9GPL3zu

— Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) August 7, 2023

All in all, while several major internet creators seem to agree that Ethan won the debate, xQc's fan base continues to support him and cheer on his content. Whether the streamer has decided to switch up his activities is also still unclear, since it appears he does not believe he's done any wrong.

For the full history of xQc's Reaction Content Controversy, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.