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PogChamp
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Look up <i>pogchamp</i> or <i>pog</i> in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. <p>PogChamp is an <a href="/facts/Twitch_emote/mpXWXcTj">emote</a> used on the <a href="/facts/Live_streaming/rsFwFXrD">streaming platform</a> <a href="/facts/Twitch_(service)/mpXWXcTj">Twitch</a> intended to express excitement, intrigue, joy or shock. The image originally depicted streamer Ryan "Gootecks" Gutierrez with a surprised or shocked expression, which originated from a <a href="/facts/YouTube/db276jst">YouTube</a> video uploaded to Gutierrez's channel, Cross Counter TV, on November 26, 2010. The original emote was added to Twitch's pool of global emotes in 2012 and was later removed in January 2021, after Gutierrez expressed support for the <a href="/facts/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack/hcF25Aqf">January 6 United States Capitol attack</a>. Twitch responded to calls to revive the emote by alternating between several unique designs every 24 hours, each using a similar expression, and eventually allowed viewers to vote on one of these faces to become the permanent replacement during what they called "The PogChampening". Users voted for an image of a <a href="/facts/Komodo_dragon/GWInqcUn">Komodo dragon</a>, which is also the basis for the KomodoHype emote. </p><p>Ryan Gutierrez was initially reluctant to allow Twitch to use his likeness for the original PogChamp emote, but soon made a deal to allow its use for between US$50,000 and US$100,000 and undisclosed additional concessions. </p><p>The emote, like others on Twitch, is displayed at a very small size of 56 by 56 pixels. <i><a href="/facts/PC_Gamer/1gokYs0P">PC Gamer</a></i> described the PogChamp emote as "one of the most ubiquitous emotes in Twitch history [...] used to react to decisive moments", while <i><a href="/facts/Kotaku/42xYCxRl">Kotaku</a></i> stated it "[indicated] surprise and hype". <a href="/facts/CNN/kEYsUQqr">CNN</a> describes the use of PogChamp as a gamer's expression for excitement, expanding the use of the PogChamp emote to the word PogChamp and its variants "Pog" and "Poggers" to describe "particularly awesome" moments. Emotes in general have been reported by CNN to be popularly used "<a href="/facts/Ad_nauseam/sbnbDCWx">ad nauseum</a> [<i><a href="/facts/Sic/qB9MUUWF">sic</a></i>]" during moments while gamer activity is livestreamed. Given the long history of the use of the PogChamp emote and its variants, Twitch acknowledges the impact of PogChamp's role in shaping the culture of its streaming services. </p>