in Twitch
by Steven Rondina about
Hasan “Hasanabi” Piker has become one of the most identifiable and most-talked-about streamers on Twitch, but neither his career nor his content are standard fare for the platform.
While Twitch is primarily known for its light content ranging from League of Legends tournaments to hot tub streamers, there’s a growing appetite for something more serious. There are a number of notable personalities on Twitch who tackle world news, politics, and other weighty subjects.
Hasanabi is arguably the most notable names in this category and is regarded by some as one of the most influential figures on social media. Here’s who he is, how he made his rise on Twitch, and what he stands for.
Who is Hasan Piker?
HasanAbi is a political commentator who reached massive audiences through popular streaming platform Twitch. Before streaming regularly, he contributed to a number of prominent media outlets and networks including the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and TMZ.
He first appeared on the radar through The Young Turks, a YouTube network that is mostly known for its political coverage. HasanAbi initially worked in TYT’s business development section before pivoting into an on-screen role. As his profile grew with the network, he served as host of his own shows The Breakdown, and then Agitprop with Hasan Piker. He left TYT in 2020 to begin streaming full-time.
HasanAbi is the nephew of The Young Turks founder Cenk Uygur. The two worked together for several years, as HasanAbi worked for TYT in various roles from 2013 to 2020.
Uygur has discussed HasanAbi’s rise on several occasions and has also criticized HasanAbi during some of his most controversial moments. The most notable instance of this was in the aftermath of HasanAbi’s ban from Twitch for comments related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Has HasanAbi been banned from Twitch?
HasanaAbi has been banned by Twitch on at least five occasions, for a variety of different reasons.
');}
Much of these are standard fare for Twitch, albeit with a few oddities. He received a ban in December 2022 surrounding his coverage of Georgia’s congressional elections due to a DMCA takedown. In July 2019 he received a ban from Twitch for perceived distracted driving. Twitch was cracking down on streamers texting and driving at the time, but Hasanabi said he was adjusting his equipment to avoid revealing his location on-air.
Hasanabi’s most notable ban came in August 2019. Following an appearance by United States Congressman Dan Crenshaw on the Joe Rogan Experience, Piker was banned after joking about Crenshaw losing an eye while fighting for the US Navy SEALs in Afghanistan and statements that “America deserved 9/11” due to destabilization efforts in the middle-east that preceded the attacks. This incident resulted in a seven-day ban from Twitch and garnered controversy from numerous politicians and news outlets.
He was also banned in December 2021 for discussions surrounding racial epithets. HasanAbi contended that racist terms used against whites in America lacked impact due to the lack of oppression faced by whites in America history, and repeatedly used the terms during a stream.
Is Hasan Piker dating anyone?
HasanAbi has not publicly dated anyone and is not known to have had a girlfriend throughout his streaming career. He has discussed dating on a few occasions but has also suggested that he and other streamers keep their romantic lives secret in order to protect the identity of their partners.
Despite not dating anyone publicly, there have been abundant fan theories regarding HasanAbi and other notable streamers and YouTubers. In 2019, there was rampant speculation that HasanAbi and fellow Twitch streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys were dating due to the pair being seen together on several occasions. Both vehemently denied this and took umbrage with fans’ propensity to assume a romantic relationship between any two content creators who happen to be seen with each other.
In 2023, fan speculation has centered around HasanAbi possibly dating Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter. The two have been seen together on multiple occasions but neither Hasanabi nor Valkyrae has confirmed that they are dating.
How tall is HasanAbi?
Hasan Piker is between 6’3” and 6’4” tall.
Though it’s not easy to spot on-stream, HasanAbi is quite large. This is more apparent in photos, particularly on his Instagram where he can be seen alongside other streamers. This can make for some hilarious side-by-sides, like this one where he is seen hunched over to stay in the frame next to Pokimane:
What has Hasan Piker donated to?
HasanAbi has donated to a wide variety of causes and charitable institutions including dog shelters and pro-labor organizations.
The full list of Piker’s political and charitable donations is not known, but some of these have been confirmed publicly. He has also led a number of donation drives for charitable causes and non-profit organizations, and will make donations stemming from sales of his merch.
In 2023, the Amazon Labor Union confirmed that Piker was among its biggest donors. Amazon has discouraged its workers from organizing, and Piker has publicly confirmed donations to pro-labor organizations in the past. Amazon is the parent company of Twitch.
Why is there drama between Hasan and Destiny?
After collaborating with one another for a long while, Hasan Piker and Steven “Destiny” Bonnell have been at odds since a series of testy exchanges in 2019 surrounding the Democrat Party’s primaries ahead of the 2020 United States Presidential Election.
The two engaged in an on-stream debate, which grew contentious at points. Though things seemed to become amicable by the end of the broadcast, words were exchanged on multiple social media platforms with the relationship growing more sour as a result. Since then, the two have criticized each other on multiple occasions particularly whenever the other ends up making a high-profile gaffe.
