Twitch
Twitch
Pokimane reveals she was in serious relationship
Olivia Richman
Influencer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has surprisingly opened up about a recent breakup after vowing to never speak about her relationships with fans. Pokimane is the most-subscribed female content creator on Twitch. She started as a game streamer but after some breaks decided that she wants to become more of a general content creator instead of grinding streams all day. This has led to her making YouTube vlogs, recording podcasts, and …
Twitch
Sketch addresses LGBTQ+ OnlyFans rumors
Olivia Richman
Popular streamer Kylie “Sketch” Cox has been dealing with backlash after images of him having sexual relations with another man were leaked online. Sketch decided to address the controversy on a recent stream. Known for spreading the term “what’s up, brother” to mainstream sports media, Sketch has been losing some fans after admitting to being involved with another man. The viral sports game streamer decided to come clean about some …
Twitch
Is MrBeast going to run for president in 2024?
Olivia Richman
Once more, Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson is contemplating running for president. It’s no secret that US politics have been quite controversial. The presidential debate had many questioning both presidential hopefuls in terms of their mental capacity and concerning rhetoric. Some are wondering if there are any better candidates and now there may be an alternative. On X, MrBeast has decided to express interest in running for president again. But can he? …
Twitch
Was Kai Cenat’s fireworks stream staged?
Fariha Bhatti
Kai Cenat celebrated July 4 like he does every year, with over-the-top indoor fireworks. But fans think this year Kai Cenat’s fireworks stream was most likely staged. Kai Cenat’s July 4 stream called Firework Wars featured Jimmy “Mr Beast” Donaldson, so it was already set to be one of his biggest livestreams. However, clips from the stream are now making the rounds for an entirely different reason. Apparently, Kai Cenat’s …
Twitch
Was Dr Disrespect arrested for sexting a minor?
Fariha Bhatti
Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm recently confirmed that he was banned on Twitch for sexting with a minor, but has he been arrested for it? Ever since Dr Disrespect posted his extensive response to the allegations of sexting an underaged individual, it has sparked a lot of chaos. YouTube has fully demonetized his channel and he has been removed from NBA 2K24 as well. This is hot off the heels of …
Twitch
Why was Nickmercs banned from Twitch?
Fariha Bhatti
Popular Twitch streamer Nick “Nickmercs” Kolcheff has been banned on Twitch for the first time since he started streaming in 2010. Nickmercs, who’s often at the center of controversy for slamming LGBTQ community and transgender people, has now found himself in hot waters. On June 28, StreamerBans reported that his Twitch account had been suspended indefinitely. Taking to X, Nickmercs has responded to the ban, revealing the real reason. While …
Twitch
Dr Disrespect will be removed from NBA 2K24 for DMing a minor
Olivia Richman
NBA 2K24 has decided to remove Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm following his admission. Earlier this week, Dr Disrespect upset the streaming world by declaring that he had used the Twitch Whisper app to have inappropriate conversations with a minor. In response, he was removed from his own studio, Midnight Society, and called a “pedophile” by the streaming community at large. His own friends made videos saying they couldn’t support what …
Twitch
BruceDropEmOff banned on Twitch after bad-mouting xQc fans
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch streamer BruceDropEmOff has been banned from the platform just one month after leaving the rival platform, Kick. BruceDropEmOff, known for his NBA 2K, Fortnite, GTA 5, and Just Chatting content, returned to Twitch earlier in June. He had been broadcasting on Kick for a year but eventually ditched the platform, pointing to a lack of creative freedom and a subpar overall experience. His brutally honest review of Kick started …
Kai Cenat finally beats Shadow of Erdtree final boss
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Despite all odds, Kai Cenat has beat Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree. Known more for his IRL streams and celebrity hangouts, Kai Cenat broke viewership records back in May when he did an Elden Ring streaming marathon. When the DLC came out, Cenat said he’d be doing another marathon, estimating that it would be over 100 hours. Kai Cenat took down the final boss at around 99 hours, which is …
Nickmercs, TimTheTatman react to Dr Disrespect sexting minor
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Streamers close to Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm have reacted to him admitting he inappropriately interacted with a minor on Twitch. Dr Disrespect was permanently banned from Twitch in 2020, leaving fans wondering what happened ever since. While he initially claimed he didn’t know why it happened, inside sources recently alleged that Dr Disrespect had used Twitch Whispers to privately message a minor. At first, Doc denied these claims and his …
Dr Disrespect announces indefinite break from streaming, here’s why
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm has announced an indefinite break from streaming after being released from the Midnight Society, a game studio he helped co-founded in 2021. Dr Disrespect is currently facing serious allegations. A former Twitch employee, Cody Conners, accused an unnamed streamer of engaging in inappropriate communication with a minor and planning to meet her at Twitch con. While the post did not explicitly name Dr Disrespect, it is …
Kai Cenat calls out anyone who calls Shadow of Erdtree too hard
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree is the long-awaited DLC for the RPG and gamers are starting to feel it may be too difficult. To that, streamer Kai Cenat is calling on players to put on their “big boy pants” and “go fight.” Popular content creator Asmongold, who is known for his obsession with World of Warcraft, recently had gamers talking when he admitted that Shadow of Erdtree is “too hard …
Asmongold quits Elden Ring DLC because it’s “too hard”
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Twitch streamer Asmongold has decided to quit playing the long-awaited Elden Ring DLC because it’s too hard. Known for his World of Warcraft streams, hot takes, and dirty room, Asmongold has been getting some consistent viewership for playing the newly released Elden Ring DLC, Shadow of Erdtree. But he may not finish grinding the challenging DLC because it’s not fun. Asmongold said he’d maybe give the DLC one more day …
Dr Disrespect responds to disturbing sexting allegations as cause for Twitch ban
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
In 2020, Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm IV was mysteriously banned from Twitch after signing a multi-year deal with the platform. We may now know the possible reason behind the ban if notable community figures are to be believed. Dr Disrespect’s permanent ban in 2020 caused quite a stir since the reason behind the ban was never revealed. While fans continued to speculate possible reasons, the two-times moved to YouTube, the …
Amouranth now owns esports team Wildcard Gaming
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Farts in a jar, gas stations, and now an esports organization… Streamer Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa has announced that she’s now co-owner of an esports organization called Wildcard Gaming. As her most recent investment, the stock savvy Amouranth has now acquired a “significant ownership stake” in Wildcard Gaming. With the famous content creator behind them, the organization is now looking to grow and scale. No further information was shared about the …
Kai Cenat announces 100+ hour Elden Ring DLC stream
Olivia Richman
Twitch
It looks like Kai Cenat is back for more punishment after beating Elden Ring. Now, the popular streamer is looking to take on the Shadow of Erdtree DLC. The Shadow of Erdtree is the first DLC for the challenging Elden Ring RPG game. It boasts an entirely new storyline, location, baddies to fight, dungeons to explore, and tough bosses. These are challenges that Kai Cenat is looking to take on. …
Twitch vs. Kick: Is Kick dying?
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Kick made big waves in the streaming scene when it was initially announced as an answer to Twitch’s strict policies. Many streamers saw it as a way to do what they want on stream without consequences as Twitch continued to be condemned for inconsistent punishments and possibly playing favorites. But is Kick living up to the expectations? Many streamers and content creators have continued to spread the narrative that Kick …
Kick accused of offering lower contract over cancer diagnosis, Kyedae speaks out
Olivia Richman
Twitch
The streaming community has been left in shock after Kick was exposed allegedly offering streamer Kyedae less money for a deal since she is battling cancer. Now, the Valorant streamer has spoken out about the rumor. Popular streamer Kyedae has been publicly fighting cancer since she was diagnosed in the early part of 2023. With support from her family and Valorant pro boyfriend Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, she has gone through …
ImAllexx accused of abusing ex-girlfriend in shocking videos
Olivia Richman
Twitch
YouTuber ImAllexx has been accused of physically and emotionally abusing his ex-girlfriend including leaked videos with shocking audios. Popular commentary YouTuber ImAllexx has been accused by his ex-girlfriend, known as Alice, of abuse. She shared a Google Doc with 82 pages of accusations along with videos and audio. In the shared files, Alice claims that ImAllexx got into physical altercations with her and destroyed her property. The text screenshots show …
Who is xQc dating in 2024? Here’s all we know about AikoBliss
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
Kick’s most expensive streamer, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, has had a tumultuous love life, but it seems he has finally found the one. Who is xQc dating in 2024? xQc’s love life has been in the public eye since he started dating fellow Twitch streamer AdeptTheBest in early 2021. They broke up in September 2022, but the controversies didn’t stop. With Adept claiming that they were married by law and xQc …
Twitch is the largest of all the major livestreaming platforms in and around the gaming world, but it wasn’t always that way. Th platform’s history dates back over many years and to a form of the service that had little to do with gaming. So how did it arrive to the top of the gaming marketplace from those humble beginnings?
Twitch transcends justin.tv, is acquired by Amazon
Twitch was originally born out of justin.tv, an early livestreaming website that focus more on general lifestyle streaming than on any one particular niche, gaming included. justin.tv, named after co-founder Justin Kan, was launched in 2007 and went on to feature multiple categories of streaming options. Among these was gaming, a category which quickly outpaced the growth of platform’s other categories.
Responding to this growth, justin.tv spun out its gaming section in 2011 into a new service called Twitch.tv, and that is the true starting point of Twitch as it exists today.
It would still be some time before Twitch would resemble its modern-day operation. The biggest move towards that progression came in 2014, when the streaming platform was purchased for just shy of $1 billion in cash by services and technology giant Amazon. That move transitioned the company being a private operation largely funded by private investment and internal revenues to one of many arms of one of the world’s largest and richest companies.
Twitch dominates gaming livestreaming
The growth of Twitch largely coincided with the growth of livestreaming the world over, and gaming was a key driver of that growth as audiences flocked in droves to watch charismatic personalities play through their favorite games both new and old. Some of those personalities would become so popular that they would rival mainstream celebrities in notoriety with younger audiences, from Tyler “Ninja” Blevins to Imane “Pokimane” Anys.
Some of those personalities would be poached by rival streaming platforms that cropped up in response to the runaway popularity of Twitch. Microsoft’s Mixer and YouTube’s YouTube Gaming both signed streamers with massive audiences to exclusive streaming deals via big-money contracts. But Twitch proved resilient; no matter how popular the streamers were when they were signed away, someone else seemed prime to fill their spot. Twitch had become more than just a vehicle through which popular personalities could stream. It was itself a destination for its audience.
Twitch does still continue to compete with rival platforms. Kick is perhaps its biggest competition today, offering generous
subscription revenue splits
in an effort to sway streamers away from Twitch. But Amazon’s platform remains the most popular.
Twitch finds controversy over moderation, censorship
Given the nature of the Twitch platform, one that is entirely reliant on user-generated content, it should come as no surprise that moderation and censorship have long been hot topics of conversation. Consistency, or lack thereof, is often cited as Twitch’s biggest issue as its moderation team struggles to pass judgments across a litany of streamers producing a great variety of content.
Those content types have only grown over time. While Twitch found massive popularity by moving away from the greater variety of justin.tv and focusing specifically on gaming, the platform has ironically pushed back into other categories in more recent years, attempting to find additional growth by emphasizing the streaming of art, music, and its popular “just chatting” content that sees streamers talking directly to their audience without any particular activity driving their engagement.
But while Twitch is now a lightning rod for controversy and discussion given its great size and breadth, that controversy has shown no real risk to lessening its grip on the livestreaming industry. Twitch has become the dominant name in its category, and with its biggest streamers continuing to
set new records, all signs point to that dominance continuing for the foreseeable future.
