On Twitter, a Twitch streamer attracted attention for allegedly streaming from his prison cell. You can find out what’s behind it on MeinMMO.
What streamer is this? John “ChoseN” Rinella is an American Overwatch player who has been a support for Boise State University since 2021 (via liquipedia). On his Twitch channel he also shows almost exclusively Overwatch 2 via (sullygnome).
However, he did not attract attention with his playing skills, but with his living conditions.
What is the streamer version? On August 26, a clip posted by Twitch channel chosen_ow went viral on Twitter. The recordings show him in a small, rather sparsely furnished room, which is said to be a prison cell. Particularly amusing for the viewers: the content creator seems to be more concerned about his hairstyle than his situation.
The streamer himself informed his viewers via a chat command that he is currently being held in the Idaho State Rehabilitation Prison for gang-related auto theft. He was allowed to stream as an “enrichment” activity (via Twitter). The US Navy does a similar thing with sea lions.
But what about the story?
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Prison Streamer Looks More Like Poor College Student
What’s the point of the story? As amusing as the idea of a government subsidy program for jailed Twitch streamers is, there are some gaps in ChoseN’s story. So there is no trace online of the prison in which the streamer is allegedly being held.
Twitch’s “PrisonToPartner” program, which ChoseN supposedly uses to stream from prison, also doesn’t seem to exist.
The “prison cell” that the streamer shows in a video on Twitter looks more like a spartan student digs and the “rat” he shares his cell with bears a suspicious resemblance to a cat on closer inspection.
An update on my situation. https://t.co/XrqNxnI2k2 pic.twitter.com/xouMPWvsg2
— chosen (@chowosen) August 26, 2023
So everything indicates that ChoseN was joking.
What did the action bring him? The original Twitter post has been viewed more than 4.3 million times and shared over 2,500 times as of August 28, 2023. However, the streamer itself only got a fair share of that attention.
There was a small push on his Twitch channel: he gained 174 new followers and reached a maximum of 284 viewers, compared to a maximum of 20-35 people watching him. However, by August 28, most of these new viewers seemed to have evaporated (via sullygnome).
ChoseN may not have had his big breakthrough with the campaign yet, but the story of a Twitch streamer who streams from prison could haunt social networks for quite a while.
As an aspiring Twitch streamer, getting discovered by your potential audience isn’t always easy. Going viral on another platform can give you the boost you need. Then the spectators have to be kept in a good mood.
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