So if and I still think it's a big if, he is planning on switching over to Twitch this might be something he is hoping to replicate.
We're in a situation that could swing either way, but looking at the information we've got on hand, there is no hard proof of what Phil claims is happening, nor have there been any tangible consequences that justify his current panic. This could be trolling, or it could be a coincidence that Phil is capitalizing on, or it could be completely fabricated which is why he had a chance to set it up. He does, however, stand to make money from this. Any time Phil stands to make money, offers no proof, and seems to have suspicious timing, there's no reason to give him the benefit of any doubt.
I was thinking about that today as well, that the Twitch transition was his highest earning month. He just got fed a bunch of members on YT, meaning that if he could pressure Twitch, he might be able to transition over and get a double payday going. I could see him blowing up Twitch support today trying to get his subs unlocked because of the previous size of his channel or something, and they may consider it because he used to be one of the top earners in subs. If that happens, I'm confident in saying that is exactly his plan - he's running a grift to have a double-income month. He may also just be angling to have an excuse to get back on Twitch because he's concerned about the level of stagnation he has hit.
It's possible that this is happening because of taxes. We're fresh on the heels of him working with his tax guy, and admitting on Sidescrollers he is still not managing his taxes properly. It's possible word came down that he will not be permitted to keep using the IRS payment plan as some sort of credit card for back payments. However, because of the interview, Sir Moist, and the income tracking, he does not feel secure openly begging for tax money. So he's looking at the recent strike issues and the last time his income spiked and thinking he should try that again.
And keep in mind, while it’s fun to laugh, Phil publicly admitted the real reason he cannot get a job. He flat out said on Sidescrollers that
he could not get a job that pays as well as streaming. Even when Phil is in dire straits, he can always beg harder to get more money, something you cannot do in a workplace. We have not even seen him at full-beg since Moist called him out. Phil is nowhere near rock bottom with milking the whales yet. So meme on him with it, but remember he is correct, this is better than any job he could get. A job only sounds reasonable to normal people, but Phil lies about his financial situation because he’s a spending addict, and Phil does not have any ethics or dignity left that stop him from begging to sustain that addiction.