Twitch to Remove Beloved BibleThump Emote Due to Expiring License

Twitch, the popular live streaming platform, is set to remove one of its most iconic and beloved emotes, BibleThump, due to the expiration of its licensing agreement. BibleThump, a crying pink blob, was introduced in 2013 to celebrate the release of the indie video game The Binding of Isaac .

History of BibleThump

BibleThump has been a global emote, available for free use on any Twitch channel, and has become a universal symbol for expressing tears or sadness. It is considered one of Twitchs original emotes, alongside other cultural icons like Pogchamp and Kappa.

Expiration and Potential Renewal

On September 25, Twitch announced that the licensing deal with The Binding of Isaac developers Edmund McMillen and Florian Himsl will expire at the end of the month, necessitating the removal of BibleThump from the platform. However, McMillen has expressed his willingness to find a solution to keep or modify the emote, indicating that he is open to renewing the license.

Despite McMillens openness, it appears that Twitch has chosen not to renew the rights to BibleThump. McMillen confirmed that he owns the rights to the emote and that no other party has acquired them, leaving the door open for a potential renewal. However, Twitchs decision suggests a possible shift in its policies regarding external emotes.

Implications and Speculations

The decision to remove BibleThump has sparked speculation about Twitchs broader strategy. It is possible that Twitch is pulling back on external initiatives, including licensing emotes, in favor of promoting emotes created by streamers themselves. This shift could be part of a larger effort to focus on community-driven content and reduce external expenses.

Additionally, there is a hint that BibleThump might find a new home on a competing platform. McMillen retweeted a post from Kick, a rival streaming service, which suggested interest in adopting the emote.