Twitch
Twitch
Dr Disrespect reacts to E3 shut down
Olivia Richman
It’s official: E3 will not be returning. While this is unfortunate news for some in the gaming industry, Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm felt no sympathy for the event. Dr Disrespect is no stranger to controversy. It shook the entire internet when he was mysteriously banned permanently from Twitch and there’s still no public reason despite some lawsuits between the Two-Time and the streaming platform. But this overshadowed some other drama …
Twitch
xQc claims legal drama with Adept is done
Olivia Richman
Twitch star Felix “xQc” Lengyel told fans that the legal drama with ex-Samantha “Adept” Lopez is basically over. For the past few years, xQc and Adept have been dealing with a messy “divorce” of sorts, with Adept apparently trying to get money from the famous streamer and cheating accusations. It’s all been very toxic and dramatic, but it looks like the drama may be coming to an end. While streaming …
Twitch
Korean streamers concerned with Twitch shutdown
Olivia Richman
Twitch will not be in South Korea in 2024. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy recently announced that the streaming platform will no longer be operating in Korea starting on February 27, 2024, due to high costs. This decision was made after the company spent “several years” figuring out how to make it more financially viable. Apparently, the network fees in Korea are “10 times higher” than they are in many other …
Twitch
xQc’s YouTube channel is already back, but should it be?
Olivia Richman
Felix “xQc” Lengyel’s YouTube channel has returned. After his account was suddenly taken down, xQc announced that his videos and channel were back up on YouTube. According to The Juicer, all of this could have been easily avoided. xQc currently has 2.33 million subscribers on YouTube. His channel includes clips from his Twitch streams as well as his infamous reaction videos. Many believed that those very videos got his channel …
Twitch
Did Dream groom minors? Controversy explained
Olivia Richman
Minecraft icon Clay “Dream” has responded to groomer allegations, and the internet is torn. A few days ago, a burner account on Twitter shared some screenshots of Dream allegedly flirting with a teenage girl who he knowingly knew was around 16 years old. The anonymous person claimed Dream has a “history” of being “inappropriate with minors” for years. The screenshots and videos were from Dream’s Snapchat during a time when …
Twitch
Pokimane addresses Myna cookie drama, apologizes for “broke boy” comment
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys recently announced her new snack company, Myna, revealing midnight cookies as the first product. However, the initial reaction has been mixed, and the streamer has addressed the matter. Pokimane’s Myna cookies are being marketed as a healthy alternative to regular cookies. The gluten-free midnight cookies, however, are by no means a revolutionary snack. Earlier, fans accused Pokimane of selling a drop-shipped product, which she addressed …
Twitch
The Completionist accused of keeping $600K meant for charity
Olivia Richman
Gaming YouTuber Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil has been accused of holding back more than $600K in charity funds. The Completionist is known for his deep discussions on a wide range of video games as well as raising money for charity. In fact, he founded his own organization called The Open Hand Foundation focused on funding dementia research. Now, popular YouTubers are speaking out against The Completionist for allegedly not distributing …
Twitch
Pokimane introduces healthy cookie line
Olivia Richman
Twitch star turned influencer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has announced a healthy snack brand after facing a major health scare in her life. Myna is a heathy snack brand founded by Pokimane and Darcey Macken. When it was launched, Pokimane explained that she met Macken in January and the two discussed a healthy snack line that would still be tasty while not being harmful. The first Myna product is called Midnight …
Ninja deletes Discord server following online leak by IShowSpeed
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
Fans are calling IShowSpeed a serial leaker after he accidentally exposed Tyler “Ninja” Blevins Discord address, leading him to delete the server. IShowSpeed is no stranger to controversy but rarely feels bad after pulling off the wildest stunts. However, this time it’s different. The streamer accidentally leaked details to Ninja’s Discord, including top celebrities and Fortnite players, and he feels bad. As a result, Ninja had to delete the treasured …
Call of Duty MW3 campaign called “worst” in series
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Modern Warfare 3 is finally here — well, the campaign only. Unfortunately, the campaign has been met with a lot of backlash, including from big streamers like Charles “MoistCr1TiKaL” White. If you pre-ordered Modern Warfare 3, you were able to play the campaign starting on November 1. This was a big incentive to pre-order since developers were hinting that Makarov was returning as the main antagonist. Unfortunately, it hasn’t lived …
“They’re all gone”: FaZe Banks reveals plans for FaZe Clan
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Is the hype returning to FaZe Clan? Richard “FaZe Banks” Bengtson has just revealed his plans for the esports organization now that he’s CEO. FaZe Clan has had a rough couple of years. Once seen as a powerful force in the space, it recently faced mass layoffs and was delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange after it was revealed it wasn’t all that profitable after all. It was an unfortunate …
“I don’t care”: MrBeast calls out haters
Olivia Richman
Twitch
YouTuber Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson has called out haters for canceling him over his philanthropic videos. MrBeast is the largest YouTuber right now thanks to his over-the-top videos. While some are just crazy stunts like crashing a train into a ditch, many are massive charity efforts that have won MrBeast many supporters — and apparently haters. Related: MrBeast loses millions on latest YouTube video Recently, MrBeast paid to have over a …
Is Dr Disrespect going to stream on X?
Olivia Richman
Twitch
The speculation never ends with Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm’s fanbase. Recently, his viewers wondered if he was planning to stream on Twitter, and Dr Disrespect has claimed he’d be willing, but only under certain conditions. The Two-Time is one of the most popular streamers in the world, recognizable for his over-the-top persona, mullet, and strong opinions on the gaming industry. After getting permanently banned from Twitch, Dr Disrespect turned to …
Adin Ross forcibly removed from TwitchCon
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Adin Ross has continued his path of controversy by attempting to crash TwitchCon, which didn’t work out. TwitchCon was held in Las Vegas this year, bringing all the biggest content creators to one place where they could interact with fans and participate in panels. Apparently, Ross wanted in on the attention and headed to Las Vegas with the intention of crashing TwitchCon. Adin Ross has very proudly switched to Kick, …
SSSniperwolf apologizes to JacksFilms for doxxing incident
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Alia “SSSniperwolf” Shelesh has finally apologized to John “JacksFilms” Douglass after getting temporarily demonetized on YouTube. Earlier this month, SSSniperwolf became the subject of mass controversy after she shared a photo of JacksFilms house on her Instagram Story. In the since-deleted Story, SSSniperwolf claimed she wanted to just “talk” to JacksFilms, who had been making YouTube videos criticizing her reaction content for being lazy and stolen. Big names in the …
xQc loses $820K betting on Logan Paul fight
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Avid gambler Felix “xQc” Lengyel just lost over $800,000 and is now accusing Dillon Danis of throwing the fight. Logan Paul has become one of the most popular attractions in combat sports, and his boxing match with Danis was one of the most anticipated fights of the year so far. The entertaining match resulted in Danis being disqualified when he attempted a double-leg takedown followed by a guillotine choke. Paul …
SSSniperwolf vs. Jacksfilms doxxing allegations explained
Olivia Richman
Twitch
The internet is in an uproar after popular reaction YouTuber Alia “SSSniperwolf” Shelesh allegedly doxxed content creator John “Jacksfilms” Douglass on her Instagram. SSSniperwolf has become famous over a variety of controversies the past few years, including being accused of extreme photo editing and faking video game content. Most recently, however, she has been under fire from Jacksfilms and other creators for her “lazy” reaction videos, with many accusing her …
What happened to Inquisitor Ghost on TikTok?
Olivia Richman
Twitch
A popular Call of Duty cosplayer and TikToker known as Inquisitor Ghost has allegedly taken his own life. The aftermath unfolded on a TikTok Live, leaving fans horrified and concerned. The cosplay community has been sharing emotional TikToks of Inquisitor Ghost after the cosplayer took his own life during a TikTok Live. Now fans want justice, claiming he was driven to end his own life over allegedly false grooming allegations. …
IShowSpeed has been unbanned on Twitch
Olivia Richman
Twitch
In a surprising twist, Darren “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. has been allowed back on Twitch. Previously permabanned for sexist behavior, IShowSpeed is being given a second chance to stream on Twitch. IShowSpeed is known for his wild antics, including an accidental flashing incident that got him booted from YouTube for a bit and then recently almost passing out from a science experiment gone wrong. Despite his bad behavior, however, IShowSpeed is …
Drake FaceTimes Kai Cenat during livestream
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Drake just dropped an album and then dropped into Kai Cenat’s livestream. Kai Cenat has blown up over the past few years thanks to his subathon and over-the-top behavior. While he has definitely had his fair share of controversies — including arrests — it hasn’t stopped Cenat from becoming a massive success and being close to celebrities. Recently, Ice Spice, Offset, and other rappers have appeared on Cenat’s livestreams. This …
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.
