Twitch streamer Asmongold criticized the Twitch audience for ‘metagaming’ – that is, using chat to inform streamers of the location of other players – on Rust, and claimed it was ruining the OfflineTV server experience.
The OfflineTV Rust server has not been exactly free of controversy since its launch. Fifty of the biggest Twitch streamers, including xQc, shroud and Valkyrae, have been fighting for control of the multiplayer survival map, which has had an involuntary focus on PvP.
In the spotlight is xQc. He frequently accuses stream sniping players to gain advantages and summons former OfflineTV member Edison Park. Park admitted to using ‘external information’ to plunder the xQc team, that xQc condemned on twitter.
However, using streams to obtain information does not necessarily have to be done by the players themselves. Some fans were able to communicate information through the Twitch chat, a practice Asmongold is not happy with.
Rust is a multiplayer survival game for PC, where players must survive in the jungle with limited resources.
Asmongold on Rust ‘metagaming’
In his January 2 stream, Asmongold didn’t like the trend of fans metagaming with streamers. He described it as “annoying” and “losing behavior”, and encouraged fans to stop.
“You guys are thrilled with that shit metagame shit. Stop doing that, it’s so annoying and it’s just a loser’s behavior, ”he said. “It’s not fun, because people are just telling each other where they are.”
“If I’m about to see someone, I’m about to see him. If I am not about to see them, I will not see them. It’s just metagaming cringe that makes it less fun for everyone.
“It’s so annoying, it’s so nasty, it’s so weird and nobody wants it. Just stop.”
It remains to be seen whether Asmongold’s speech will lead to a reduction in Rust’s metagaming, but it is probably not worth holding your breath.
With a new RPG-focused OfflineTV server set to launch on January 7, it will be interesting to see if moving away from PvP focus will lead to less metagaming. With streamers at less risk of ambush and death, metagaming can disappear naturally.