‘Everyone encounters some kind of abuse’: Stephen ‘Jorbs’ Flavall speaks out on the dark side of Twitch streaming

In his new memoir, Before We Go Live, the Twitch and YouTube star pulls back the curtain on the world of pro game streaming - and details some of the toxic behaviour he says he has witnessed

Stephen Flavall - or Jorbs as he is known on YouTube and Twitch, where he has more than 100,000 followers - rose to fame streaming strategy games such as XCOM and Slay the Spire, a game in which he has achieved several world records. He's considered a high-ranking Twitch streamer, with a soothing monotone voice and an infectious laugh. He's very consistent. When you watch Flavall's Twitch channel, you know exactly what to expect: funny and cerebral anecdotes, informative strategy tips and a supportive community.

But his new memoir, Before We Go Live, does something unexpected: it pulls back the curtain on the back end of professional game streaming - which, as anyone who follows online gaming culture knows, is rife with rampant toxicity, abuse and harassment. It's a chilling wakeup call for the industry, from the top down.