Death Threats: Adam Koebel quits streaming

It’s been about two months since we’ve heard from the co-creator of the Dungeon World RPG, Adam Koebel. The prolific streamer inexplicably ran an in-game sexual assault on RollPlay’s Far Verona live stream which resulted in the entire cast quitting and then Koebel’s shows being cancelled.

Koebel did apologise, blaming a failure of consent tools, but many in the community could accept neither the apology nor way it was made. Others remain disappointedly perplexed that a man who once gave professional advice on how not to be a creepy abusive GM made such a terrible decision.

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Now, after death threats, Koebel as announced he will be quitting streaming altogether.

My mistake started an avalanche of cascading collapse, fuelled by the most aggressive cruelty I’ve ever experienced.

Earlier, he describes;

I continue to be the recipient of hate, vitriol and targeted abuse both in public and in private spaces. I’m being emailed anonymous threats of harm if I ever return to broadcasting or attend a convention, messages telling me I shouldn’t exist at all let alone be allowed to “come back” — voices shouting that nothing I had previously said or done or made mattered in the face of my mistake. People are telling me that redemption, for me, is impossible. I’ve been invited to end my own life to prevent the further harm I will certainly cause.

Death threats are never acceptable, but it is hard to see how Koebel could return to streaming. The assault scene lasted two minutes, and he was grinning throughout.

Elspeth Eastman, the player in question, used her own channel to explain why she, understandably, quit the show.

Eastman’s video isn’t the last on the subject. Later, RollPlay used their YouTube channel to broadcast Koebel’s apology and the cancellation of the show.

The cast supports Eastman, without equivocation.

Despite this, Koebel has indicated he’s not vanishing from the scene.

I’m leaving streaming. Out there is something new and still uncertain. I’m stepping back from creating live content, from my Twitch channel, and from all its connected spaces, but I’m not disappearing. For now, you’ll be able to find me posting on this blog, and find my photography work on Instagram. My YouTube channel will stay up and my Twitch channel highlights will remain as an archive of broadcasts from the last five years. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is set to release later this year and I’m so excited to be a part of that project. If you’re looking for live RPG content; I assure you that there’s no shortage of folks to follow and stories to experience.

Dune: Adventures in the Imperium is an RPG from Modiphius, first announced in 2018, set in Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece. The game came top in EN World’s most anticipated RPG of 2020 poll, but Modiphius may not be thrilled to see Koebel reminding the world of his involvement in it.