Metallica BlizzCon Performance Censored By Blizzard To Avoid Twitch DMCA Takedown

Metallica

Another BlizzCon has now come and gone, and despite being a digital-only event this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the livestreaming event still seemed to be a success. New announcements for their big upcoming games like Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV were made, and the fan community was also given the chance to shine on Saturday. However, livestreaming events like this on various sites can provide issues, especially regarding licensing and DMCA takedowns. Such was the case with BlizzConline this past weekend, as Blizzard opted to censor their Metallica concert performance at BlizzConline to avoid a DMCA takedown on Twitch.

Twitter user Slasher recently shared a clip of the Metallica concert performance that was livestreamed by Blizzard as a part of BlizzConline 2021. The legendary heavy metal band was brought on to uphold the BlizzCon tradition of throwing a large concert with a big-name musical act and bring the energy up for the event. However, it seems that Blizzard was aware of the complications that DMCA rules on Twitch can bring regarding live musical performances on the platform. As such, the concert portion of the event had its audio replaced with 8-bit folk music that would not risk a DMCA takedown.

The resulting livestream portion resulted in a humorous dubbing of the rock group, with music very much not matching their tough aesthetic. This also extended to other streamers covering the event, with hundreds of streamers reportedly hitting mute rapidly once Metallica started playing. The band’s label has been notoriously protective of their music, especially on digital platforms, so it’s no shock to see both Blizzard and streamers playing this safe. Many have used this as the perfect example of why there needs to be DMCA reform on Twitch, but until that day comes, Nothing Else Matters.

What do you guys think about Blizzard censoring their Metallica concert BlizzConline performance on Twitch? Let us know in the comments below! Be sure to stay tuned for the latest Blizzard news, such as the Blizzard Arcade Collection announced at BlizzConline 2021, here on Don’t Feed the Gamers! Follow us on Twitter to see our updates the minute they go live!

Cory Lara2137 Posts

A royally radical and totally tubular 90s kid, Cory has a passion for all things nerdy, particularly gaming and nostalgia. While an accountant by day, he strives to be as creative and humorous as possible in his free time, be it here writing on Don't Feed the Gamers, or making dumb satirical posts on his Twitter, Youtube, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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