Twitch streamer Pirate Software has found himself at the center of a major controversy, after a dungeon run he was involved in led to the deaths of two Level 60 characters in Hardcore WoW.
Pirate Software, real name Jason Thor Hall, was part of a 5-man group with fellow members of well-known guild OnlyFangs, which counts huge streamers like Sodapoppin, Tyler1 and Mizkif among its members.
As they tried to navigate Dire Maul, they pulled too many mobs and the decision was made to run it back, something that happens pretty regularly in Hardcore WoW. Instead of using Mage abilities like Polymorph or Frost Nova to slow the enemy, he cast Ice Barrier on himself, further draining his limited mana.
Unfortunately, this led to two players losing their characters, causing significant debate about whether they could have been saved if Pirate Software had intervened.
Hardcore WoW controversy leads to thousands of bans
The events of that particular dungeon run led many to head to Pirate Software’s stream to voice their opinion, or just troll. In total, the streamer has now banned more than 2.5k people, confirming the actions taken in a conversation with Mizkif.
“Dude, it’s wild! Like, I think we banned about 2,500 people so far and we’re just reporting it all up because 99% of it just people copy-pasting something from Reddit,” he said.
“Yeah, I think it’s the same thing Sequisha dealt with the Gurubashi Arena stuff. It was the same s**t, like, 20,000 people jumping on his channel and just smashing him. So, I’m not really surprised.”
Much of the controversy comes down to the fact that Pirate Software’s main contention is that he didn’t have enough mana to help effectively. As many viewers noted, he had a Mana Gem that restores at least 1k mana in his inventory, even appearing to hover over it with his cursor while running at one point.
After electing not to use the gem, he then casts Ice Barrier to further ensure his own safety, using more mana in the process.
A call did little to squash the beef
After all was said and done, Pirate Software jumped on a call with Yamato, another player who was part of the ill-fated dungeon run. After being accused of taking zero accountability, Hall abruptly ended the call, essentially putting an end to any chances of a peaceful reconciliation.
In a later portion of the aforementioned conversation with Mizkif, Pirate Software explained his reasoning behind doing what he did.
“A lot of the hate just kind of landed on me because Mage is seen as being able to do anything at any time, and I was told to run by our shot-caller. I ran from our shot-caller, did a couple of things in there, and I made the decision not to wipe.”
When asked if he could have done more, Hall did concede that it was possible, but not worth the potential risks to his character.
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“Of course. I could always do more. But the thing is was the risk worth it? In that case probably not for me.”
Ahmpy weighs in to blast Pirate Software
Twitch streamer Ahmpy, who is known for his immense prowess within the Mage class, gave his thoughts on the situation, and he was less than happy with how Pirate Software behaved in that situation.
“The craziest thing is that Pirate is supposed to be this voice of a person that’s played WoW for a really long time. Who knows everything. When it comes down to it he panicked like a roach and did nothing for his group. Disgusting.
“Then he doesn’t go back on it and acts like it’s the right decision. F**k that dude. Holy s**t ego. At least accept that you did the wrong thing and you killed your friends.”
Pirate Software slams “death threats” from angry viewers
Later on January 13, Pirate Software penned a tweet addressing the criticism against him over the incident, revealing that he’s been sent a myriad of hateful messages and even death threats.
First, he broke down the events of the raid, saying “communication was completely broken throughout this and it was our second time failing the dungeon. Everyone played poorly, and two people ultimately lost their characters for it.”
He went on to discuss the negative behavior he’s been subjected to in the wake of this ordeal, revealing that his ferret rescue charity has even become a target for those harassing him.
“Each person in this group made mistakes, including myself,” he wrote. “I have never once said I was perfect in my play nor that I was a god gamer. I’m just an ex-Blizzard employee that has played mage for a long time.
To pin that on a single person is absurd at best and if you’re calling for death and cancellation over it you’re too invested in this content in a very unhealthy way. If you’re a creator engaging in this kind of behavior then eventually your content wave will end but the relationships you’ve sullied will be permanent. Hope it was worth it for you.”
To those trying to character assassinate me online for a bad pull in Diremaul WoW Hardcore. This is Hardcore WoW and a lot is on the line when you step foot into a dungeon. Here is a light breakdown of the last 24 hours.Our party went the wrong way and overpulled multiple packs… pic.twitter.com/Ptl15pV0sP
— Pirate Software (@PirateSoftware) January 13, 2025
Overall, Thor made it clear that he’s keeping his head up and moving on, with no room for such behavior in his community.
Fans’ reactions have generally been mixed, with some defending Pirate Software’s right to play as he wishes, while others accused him of being selfish.
The dust is yet to settle down on the situation and a peaceful resolution seems further away than ever, with the streamer continuing to ban those who arrive to troll his stream.
