Dr Disrespect recently posted an incredible tweet that made the whole arena very lively. The arena I mean is the corner of the internet where the gamers are—waiting to see every move of the Two-Time, the Doc, the guy with the mullet and shades. He announced a live stream that would start in about 30 minutes from the time the tweet was sent.
It was not any stream, though. No, it was the first-ever collaboration with the fellow streamer TSM_Viss in the game ARC Raiders which he called their ‘last push to the finish line.’ Winning one raid at a time, every time, on time, ahead of schedule. Can you imagine? He also added a couple of links, probably to the stream and maybe a highlight reel. The hype was definitely there, and the replies? Pure chaos, but the good kind.
Now, for those who have been living under a rock—or just don’t consider the streaming world something to follow like a religion—Dr Disrespect is the biggest character in the industry. Not only characterized by his larger-than-life persona but he has also gained popularity through his remarkable skills in shooters, and, well, getting banned from Twitch some time ago. He is now on YouTube. TSM_Viss, on the other hand, comes from the competitive PUBG world, a legendary player and a total tactical genius. Putting them in ARC Raiders, that new free-to-play extraction shooter from Embark Studios, is like adding nitro to glycerin. You can just bet it will go off.
Gamers reacted in a funny, immediate way. So many people expressed their interest through memes, and there was also a bit of the traditional gamer skepticism mixed in. Solace, one of the gamers, put it somewhat ironically: ‘yay more ARC RAIDERS… At least its DOC tho, ill tune him to watch it, but thats 100% it.’ On the one hand, the game itself may lose some of its freshness for some, but on the other hand, the novelty of the Doc as a performer is great and undeniable. He is the main attraction.
Nonetheless, the majority of replies were just plain, straight-out thrilled. ‘VISSRESPECT back again, mano a mano,’ one user proclaimed, crediting the duo with their super team name. Another user just shouted them to ‘BE RUTHLESS TODAY.’ The vibe was very clear: they were going to be aggressive and not just a little stealthy. ‘I want shoot on sight orders from both of you today. No mercy, no negotiating. Dominate every server,’ wrote a player named Scott. Such is the expectation of these two when they log in.
A lot of inside jokes were also being shared. Someone referred to the game’s legendary announcer line, ‘Hey, don’t shoot!’ and said that it would be of no use for this duo. One more person said that Viss was ‘done giving xmas presents’ and it was time to get your mullets ready for a ‘feast in speranza’—Speranza being one of the maps in the game. The community was speaking in its own language and it was so nice to see that.
And, of course, the classic Doc-isms were literally everywhere. ‘Just a coupla WANGHAFs,’ one said, referring to Doc’s non-existent game development studio. ‘Doc is going top side. Everyone be ready to WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!’ another one shouted. The excitement was so high that it almost was felt through the screen. People were asking for ‘VissRespect’ merch, which, to be honest, someone has to make it happen like yesterday.
However, not everything was praise. One person’s comment was very honestly painful: ‘This game bores me to tears but you do you.’ And you know what? That’s very much justifiable. Not every game is for everyone. But the reflection is that even the most boring person might be willing to tune in just to see how the Doc and Viss play it. That is the power of personality in streaming. It turns the whole activity around.
Then what’s all the noise? Why is this the talk of the town? Because such collaborations are esports events. They are like bullet points in the history of gaming culture. Despite his controversies, Dr Disrespect is still the one who moves the needle. Working with a very much respected tactician like Viss creates a very interesting dynamic: Doc’s blazing, often reckless aggression coupled with Viss’s calculated, strategic mind. The game of ARC Raiders being all about risk, reward, and getting out alive with the loot, that combination could end up being either superbly victorious or a spectacular, hilarious disaster. And gamers want to see which one it is.
In addition, it gives a major exposure to ARC Raiders as well. The game was highly praised from the outset, mainly due to its association with PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
