Twitch
Twitch
Asmongold finds out he is a playable character in new MMORPG
Olivia Richman
Asmongold is probably the biggest MMO player on Twitch, having got his start as a World of Warcraft streamer back in 2014. Since then, Asmongold has branched into other games to explore new worlds but now he finds himself in an MMORPG world as a character. The Twitch streamer recently checked out Intrepid Studio’s new MMORPG Ashes of Creation. The game is about building cities, defending them, and taking down …
Twitch
Sykkuno tells fans why he’s never invited to Twitch Rival events
Olivia Richman
Despite having over 4 million followers on Twitch, fans have noticed that Sykkuno has never been part of a Twitch Rival event. Sykkuno has been streaming games since 2011, rapidly growing in popularity due to his collaborations with other big content creators. Sykkuno has played Valorant, GTA RP, and other games with Felix “xQc” Lengyel, Imane “Pokimane” Anys, Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter, and other popular streamers. Even though he’s one of …
Twitch
When is Destiny returning from his Twitch suspension?
Olivia Richman
When political content creator Stephen “Destiny” Bonell II was suddenly banned from Twitch, fans immediately wondered what caused the suspension and when he would be back. Destiny is known for his controversial statements and outspoken opinions, so the suspension itself wasn’t too shocking. But it appeared to come out of nowhere, leaving followers to speculate what caused his streaming account to be taken down. After Destiny was banned on March …
Twitch
Ninja, Tfue, Dr Disrespect return to Fortnite for No Builds mode
Olivia Richman
The No Builds Limited Time Mode in Fortnite was so popular that Epic Games decided to make it a permanent game mode in the battle royale, and that decision is bringing back some of the game’s most famous players. Prominent Fortnite leakers predicted that the mode would become permanent in Fortnite. The confirmed change has been one met with approval from the most iconic of Fortnite streamers, with many picking …
Twitch
Who is Corpse Husband? Answering the mystery behind the voice
Olivia Richman
Corpse Husband rapidly rose in popularity back Among Us ruled over Twitch and YouTube streams. But it wasn’t really his playing style that won him fan. It was his voice. As more people became obsessed with Corpse Husband, it became clear that part of the streamer’s draw was that he was a mystery to most people. His name and identity were unknown, and nobody ever saw his face, even leading …
Twitch
Hikaru banned from Twitch for showing clips of Dr Disrespect
Olivia Richman
Twitch may no longer have legal problems with Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm IV, but that doesn’t mean the platform will allow streamers to watch the permanently banned personality during live broadcasts. Chess streamer Hikaru “GMHikaru” Nakamura learned this the hard way. Hikaru is a Grandmaster, meaning he holds the highest title a chess player can attain. He is also the highest-rated blitz player in the world. Hikaru is a talented …
Twitch
Who is Nickmercs, the pro gamer turned FaZe Clan co-owner?
Olivia Richman
Nicholas “Nickmercs” Kolcheff is a pro player turned streamer who has steadily risen in popularity over the last few years. Always outspoken and often animated, Nickmercs has been at the center of a fair share of controversy over those years as well. But who exactly is Nickmercs, and how did he become so famous? This is the interesting history behind one of the most popular streamers on Twitch. Nickmercs was …
Twitch
Did Dr Disrespect’s Midnight Society steal art from other games?
Olivia Richman
There has been a lot of hype around Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm’s new Midnight Society game studio, but as more information is revealed there has been drama to go along with it. Dr Disrespect recently responded to the controversies surrounding his decision to introduce Founders Pass NFTs, which are non-fungible tokens that are meant to provide benefits and early access to fans who want to get more involved with Midnight …
Who is Disguised Toast? How did he become a popular streamer?
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang has been a prominent streamer on every platform, having streamed for YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and Twitch. Toast is a very popular streamer, despite having to rebuild a fanbase with each move between platforms. He currently has 2.5 million followers on Twitch, where he can be found playing games or Just Chatting with other popular internet personalities. So how did he get so big? What does he …
Dr Disrespect shares harsh thoughts on Streamer Awards
Olivia Richman
Twitch
It was probably one of the most controversial moments in Twitch history when Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm IV was banned from the streaming platform, and its effects continue to be felt today. Since that fateful moment, Dr Disrespect has been dealing with behind-the-scenes legal issues with Twitch, claiming that it has ruined his reputation and gotten in the way of financial opportunities, like sponsorships. The latest issue may have been …
How to save Twitch clips to your phone and computer
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
Twitch’s clipping feature allows fans to re-watch special moments and even download them afterward. Here’s how you can save Twitch clips to your phone and computer. Amazon’s live streaming service is the prime platform for video game fans. But some streams can last for days and even months, meaning finding your favorite moment afterward can be tricky. Fortunately, Twitch has a clipping feature that compiles short VODs separately. Using this …
Dr Disrespect reacts to Midnight Society NFT backlash
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Iconic content creator Herschel “Dr Disrespect” Beahm has been under fire since revealing that NFTs were involved in Midnight Society’s first project. Earlier in the year, Dr Disrespect announced a new gaming studio, Midnight Society. At the time, he explained that Midnight Society would be all about community, allowing fans to have an input and be “completely open” throughout the process. The first project has now been revealed: a Founders …
Ludwig addresses “rigged” Streamer Awards talk after his win
Olivia Richman
Twitch
YouTuber Ludwig Ahgren took home Streamer of the Year at the first annual Streamer Awards over the weekend, but he didn’t seem too happy about it. On March 12, Blaire “QTCinderella” hosted the Streamer Awards in Los Angeles, California. There were dozens of awards given ranging from Best ASMR Streamer to Best FPS Streamer. But the final and most coveted award was for Streamer of the Year. The four streamers …
Twitch streamer assaulted during live stream, calls police
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Twitch streamer CashMeow is known for his IRL streams. He recently decided to stream a trip to Tokyo, Japan, and things turned violent during a live broadcast there. CashMeow was filming himself eating a meal outside a restaurant when a group of men approached him. The strangers appeared to be looking for a fight, drinking CashMeow’s water and challenging him. When CashMeow got his camera equipment to film the altercation, …
Who is Corinna Kopf? Sensational influencer turned social star
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
Corinna Kopf has quickly gone from a small-time YouTuber to a social media sensation. Curious to know how she started? Here’s everything you need to know about Corinna Kopf in 2022. Corinna Kopf, also known as the “pouty girl” on her social media channels, is among the most popular content creators in 2022. The streamer and Instagram model has netted a massive following with her regular content and entertaining posts …
Sweet Anita steals the show at the 2022 Streamer Awards
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Variety streamer Sweet Anita has grown in popularity over the years for her realness and sense of humor. She stole the show when she presented a category at the Streamer Awards with her signature authenticity. Sweet Anita has never let her Tourette syndrome get in the way of her wildly successful streaming career. While it may be challenging for her at times, she has the positivity and determination to work …
Amouranth wins Best ASMR Streamer at the Streamer Awards 2022
Olivia Richman
Twitch
ASMR has become one of the most popular categories on Twitch and that’s largely due to Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa. Amouranth was one of the biggest streamers on Twitch in 2021, known for her adult content, business savvy, and controversial behavior on the streaming platform. She was one of the pioneers of the hot tub meta and was also responsible for the rise of the ASMR and yoga pants meta, both …
xQc complains about not winning at Streamer Awards 2022
Olivia Richman
Twitch
Felix “xQc” Lengyel was one of the most popular streamers present at the first annual Streamer Awards. The Hollywood-style event featured a red carpet and awards program, with xQc showing up in clothing that many considered a bit too casual. Even without a suit on, xQc likely got the most attention of any streamer in the room thanks to his impressive following and big personality. xQc has well over 10 …
Dr Disrespect settles Twitch dispute, but will he return?
William Davis
Twitch
Dr Disrespect and his infamous Twitch ban seem to have finally been resolved, but the incident still is neither forgiven nor forgotten. On March 10, 2022, streaming icon Dr Disrespect announced that he has finally resolved the legal dispute between himself and Twitch. This brings a conclusive, albeit unsatisfying, end to nearly two years of speculation. The announcement did not include any information about the original cause of Dr Disrespect’s …
VTuber Ironmouse ends subathon after 31 days, says she’s “free”
Olivia Richman
Twitch
VTuber Ironmouse’s subathon has finally come to an end. Ironmouse decided to start an uncapped subathon in February, adding to the clock every time she received a donation or subscription. The animated streamer saw huge success early on, becoming the most-subbed female Twitch streamer after just two weeks and then the most-subscribed streamer overall a few short days later. After 31 total days of streaming, Ironmouse’s subathon has come to …
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.
