Twitch faces an unprecedented legal challenge in Russia following the suspension of former League of Legends pro player Kirill "Likkrit" Konstantinovich Malofeyev. The platform suspended Malofeyev in 2022 due to US sanctions related to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as he is the son of Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev.

After an initial dismissed lawsuit, Malofeyev won a second case under new Russian laws designed to counter sanctions. The court ordered Twitch to pay 100,000 rubles per day of suspension, with the amount doubling weekly without limit. The fine has theoretically grown to exceed all money in the world, despite Malofeyev's account generating less than $2,000 in revenue while active.

In 2023, Malofeyev attempted to enforce the Russian ruling through Turkish courts against Amazon, Twitch's parent company. Twitch argues this action is invalid since Malofeyev's agreement was with Twitch specifically, not Amazon. The company is now seeking protection in the US justice system to prevent the enforcement of the Russian judgment and compel arbitration.

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