Michael “shroud” Grzesiek announced on Twitter that he is moving from Twitch to rival streaming platform Mixer.
The news was revealed in a short video that offered few other details.
Shroud’s move away from Twitch marks the second famous streamer to leave the platform over recent months, following Tyler “Ninja” Blevins’ controversial move to Mixer. There has been no public word on when Shroud’s transition to Mixer will take place, but it is likely that the switch is effective immediately. While it is likely that Shroud signed an exclusive contract with Mixer, no details are known about its length or value at this time.
Shroud is one of Twitch’s most famous streamers, pulling in tens of thousands of viewers on a daily basis. The 25-year-old is one of Twitch’s most recognizable names and his move to Mixer is a huge upset to Twitch, and its stranglehold on the streaming market.
Much like Ninja’s deal, this is a demonstration of Microsoft’s seriousness in transforming Mixer into a true competitor to Twitch and its willingness to cut big checks to make it happen.
Shroud originally found his place on Twitch streaming Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and soon found his way onto professional CSGO team Cloud9, where he became a fan favorite. Throughout his professional CSGO career, Shroud continued to retain a following on Twitch.
In April 2018, he announced his retirement from professional CSGO and a return to fulltime streaming. Despite being a CSGO pro, his audience peaked as he dabbled in battle royale titles like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Apex Legends. He was one of the first streamers to reveal Respawn Entertainment’s battle royale game Apex Legends live on stream, and continues to take part in industry insider events, often acting as the general public’s eyes and ears inside exclusive reveals.
Mixer itself was originally launched in 2016 as Beam before the company was purchased by Microsoft for an undisclosed amount in August 2016. Soon after, Microsoft rebranded the service as Mixer.
With the addition of both Shroud and Ninja to Mixer’s arsenal, Mixer is making a dedicated push into the streaming industry. The only question now is who will be the next big name to change sides?
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