Trainwreckstv explains the biggest signs of viewbotting on Kick

Conn Mc Gillion Published 28/05/2026

Viewbotting is highly topical at the moment, and Trainwreckstv has chimed into the debate, revealing the telltale signs that someone is artificially boosting their viewer numbers.

During a recent Kick stream, he discussed the prominence of viewbotting on the platform and stated that the main factor that most experienced and legitimate streamers can spot is consistent user retention and sponsorship. “It’s sponsorship and pay — everything else can be duped,” he said.

Expanding on that point, Train said that many streamers have gained higher viewership and secured sponsorships, but have failed to retain them over time. According to him, this happens when a streamer’s viewer count does not match their overall performance, which he argued can be a strong indicator of viewbotting. He said: “does the weight they move match the view count that they have?”

Trainwreckstv, who has 566k followers on Kick, also referenced his own sponsorship experience, stating that his deal with Stake has resulted in increased revenue and that his Kick metrics consistently show the partnership has been beneficial for the crypto casino.

High Chat Activity vs Chat Interaction

The recent stream drew plenty of engagement and Trainwreckstv made a point that many people paint a lack of chat activity as a sign that a streamer is viewbotting, as it shows that many of the viewers watching the stream are bots. However, Train countered that argument by explaining that not every streamer is an IRL streamer that constantly interacts with their chat.

Train’s primary point was that many streamers do not interact with their chat that much, such as gaming streamers like himself, and as a result, the chat is often dead. His point seems to hold true, as he gave an example that when he interacts with chat for 30 seconds, which is rare, chat activity explodes during his streams.

In his view, chat activity can only be applied as a factor if the streamer produces content that is centred around constant chat interaction. iShowSpeed, for example, consistently interacts with his chat, and that is the main draw. When someone like Speed streams while scuba diving, that is bound to cause a spike in chat activity. But some streamers simply play games, for example, with minimal chat interaction. Chat activity alone cannot be a clear indicator of viewbotting as a result of this.

Viewership Consistency

As well as covering the sponsorship point, Train went on to explain that viewership retention is a clear way to spot viewbotting consistently. His point was that many ‘new gen’ streamers, believe they can accelerate progress by focusing on 10,000 viewbots over ten hours, to make their chat look busier and consistently better over a period of time.

Newer streamers will likely have spikes that could reach numbers like 10k, and potentially even higher, if they find a niche or something entertaining that suits their brand. But, the maintenance of that sort of viewership is usually only achieved by streamers of the calibre of iShowSpeed and Kai Cenat.

Kick logo. Image credit: Kick

Kick acts over botting with algorithm changes

Trainwreckstv’s stream can be linked directly to the recent discourse over Kick’s algorithm changes. Kick’s co-founder Bijan Tehrani stated that there had been a major recent crackdown on the streaming site, with “500 of the worst abusers” being banned.

The imminent Kick algorithm update focuses on creating an improved customized experience for users with an updated “For You” section, but the incentive of viewbotting is also being removed, with interesting organic streams instead being promoted.

This is an industry-wide problem for streaming platforms, and Twitch has also recently announced that viewbotters will be punished with a viewership cap.

Feature image credit: Kick

Conn Mc Gillion

About Conn Mc Gillion

Conn Mc Gillion is an editor and iGaming content specialist with experience across online casino & sweepstakes platforms. He has worked on US facing gambling and promotional content, focusing on clarity, compliance, and user-focused optimisation. Conn’s editorial approach prioritises transparency, accurate promotional breakdowns, and responsible play guidance.

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