-
CultureTwitchThe Most Viewed Twitch Hot Tub Stream Yet Is Also The Most Cursed
At this point, there are more parody hot tub streams on Twitch than actual hot tub streams—so much so that one now holds the distinction of being the most viewed hot tub stream of all time. Credit where credit’s due, though: Minecraft megastar George “GeorgeNotFound’’ Davidson at least went out of his way to make…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 3, 2021 -
CultureTwitchLast Month’s Most Popular Twitch Clip Was Just A Butt
Turns out, people like butts. Per data compiled by analytics site Streams Charts, the most viewed Twitch clip of the entire month of May was a single shot from the stream of adult film actress and Twitch broadcaster Mia Malkova. She stood up in a tub, facing away from the camera. It would be hard…
By Nathan Grayson Published June 2, 2021 -
CultureTwitchThe Twitch DMCAs Just Keep Coming
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The music industry is taking aim at Twitch, this time to the tune of “about 1,000 individual claims,” according to the company. Twitch’s solution? Second verse, same as the first: Delete, delete, delete. In an email sent to streamers earlier today, Twitch explained that “all of the…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch’s New Hot Tub Category Is Full Of Parodies, Fakes, And Scams
Last week, Twitch finally responded to controversy surrounding the so-called “hot tub meta” by clarifying its rules and creating a new section called Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches. Given that many complaints about hot tub streams stemmed from the idea that they represented a “loophole” in Twitch’s rules, it has certainly been something to watch…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 24, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Says Being Seen As ‘Sexy’ Isn’t Against The Rules, Creates Dedicated Category For Hot Tub Streamers
After months of controversy stemming from a perceived loophole in Twitch’s attire and sexual conduct rules, the company has created a dedicated section for pools, hot tubs, and beaches. In a new blog post today, Twitch announced that it has created a new category: “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches.” Previously, hot tub streamers largely used…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 21, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Takes Away Biggest Hot Tub Streamer’s Ability To Make Money Off Ads [UPDATE]
Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa is one of the most popular female streamers on Twitch. As of now, she can no longer make money off ads on her channel. Siragusa, already one of the more recognizable names on Twitch, has benefited tremendously from the so-called “hot tub meta,” in which swimsuit-clad streamers talk to their chats, play…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 18, 2021 -
CultureTwitchAs Gaza Burns, Twitch Charity Streams For Palestine Remain Few And Far Between
The situation in Gaza is dire. Israeli raids have killed over 200 Palestinians in the past week, at least 42 of them on Sunday alone. They’ve also destroyed more than 500 homes, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians homeless—a stunningly bleak continuation of decades of apartheid and aggression. During tragedies and crises affecting other regions,…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 18, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Begins Adjusting Sub Prices Based On Where Viewers Live
While the USD 4.99 per month cost of a Tier 1 Twitch subscription works fine here in the States, five bucks can be a much larger hit on one’s wallet in other countries. Starting this week with Mexico and Turkey, Twitch will begin adjusting subscription costs to better align with the local cost of living.…
By Mike Fahey Published May 17, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Sure Seems To Hope This Whole ‘Sports’ Thing Blows Up
If you’ve heard of esports, you might also be familiar with “sports,” a spinoff of esports that people somehow play without computers. Twitch, which made its name on esports, has recently become very interested in these un-electronic sports and seems to really hope they’ll catch on. It began in July of last year, when Twitch…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 11, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Isn’t Overwhelmed With Far-Right Extremists, But It Does Have A Big Misinformation Problem
Twitch’s relationship with misinformation is complicated. In 2020, platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter grappled with their outsized roles in the creation and cultivation of conspiracy movements like QAnon. Misinformation troubled Twitch in a different way, but the platform emerged curiously un-plagued by a comparable extremism epidemic. Now, midway through 2021, Twitch is finally…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureTwitchWatching Animals On Twitch Is My New Daily Dose Of Chill
The baby geese have just started showing up at CritterVision, making things a bit tricky for the squirrels. On HootHouseLivestream, mother Hootie has her wings full with rapidly-growing babies Dax, Jin, San, and Fiz. Speaking of babies, a new litter just arrived at Adorable_Kittens. I’ve become a Twitch nature stream enthusiast over the past month,…
By Mike Fahey Published April 29, 2021 -
CultureTwitchHot Tub Streams Are Waning, But Some People Still Think They’re Destroying Twitch
It’s hot tub stream summer, and everybody’s got an opinion. This week, for example, the biggest streamer on Twitch, Félix “xQc” Lengyel, called hot tub streams “trash,” saying that they’re “the most pathetic thing we’ve seen on Twitch in forever” and petitioning for them to be removed from the front page. It was the latest…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 23, 2021 -
CultureTwitchFans Criticize Poor Timing Of In-Person Twitch Star Uno Tournament
Last night, esports and lifestyle organization 100 Thieves held an all-star streamer Uno tournament featuring Twitch and YouTube stars like Rachel “Valkyrae” Hofstetter, Ali “Myth” Kabbani, Jack “CouRage” Dunlop, Ludwig Ahgren, Hasan Piker, and the Botez sisters, whose otherworldly skill at chess sadly did not quite carry them to victory in a children’s card game.…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 21, 2021 -
CultureTwitchProbably Shouldn’t Have Checked On Caramel
“Check on Caramel,” said somebody in popular Twitch comedian Jerma’s chat yesterday, referring to one of his first Sims in his ongoing Sims 1 playthrough. He should not have, as it turns out, checked on Caramel. Heeding his audience’s wishes, Jerma jumped from the household of his self-insert character—who had just completed his all-consuming quest…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 19, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTop Streamers Lose Millions Of Followers After Twitch Cracks Down On Viewbots
It’s no secret that Twitch has a problem with viewbots, which are fake viewers that artificially inflate streamers’ numbers. They’ve been part of the ecosystem for years, both as a means of making streamers look more popular than they are and, more recently, a tool trolls use maliciously to try to bring Twitch’s punitive wrath…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 15, 2021 -
CultureTwitchLudwig’s Never-Ending Twitch Stream Has Ended
On March 14, Ludwig Ahgren started a stream with no set end date. Last night, an entire month later, it finally ended. For the better part of 31 days, Ahgren played games, worked out, watched movies, and even slept on stream. At night, his moderators took over, podcasting and collaborating with viewers to share videos…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 14, 2021 -
CultureTwitchAfter Nonstop 31-Day Stream, Ludwig Breaks Ninja’s All-Time Twitch Subscriber Record
For 31 days, Ludwig Ahgren’s stream has been up and running all day every day. He hasn’t been awake the entire time, but he and his moderators have ensured that it’s grown to be one of Twitch’s most consistent and comforting presences—albeit one that is probably taking a not-insignificant mental and physical toll on everyone…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 13, 2021 -
CultureTwitchThe NFT Bubble Might Be Bursting, But Streamers And Esports Orgs Are Still Getting In On It
As of last month, the age of NFTs was officially upon us. As of this month, it might be on its way out. Average prices have declined by as much as 70% since a peak in February, according to Bloomberg. That, however, has not stopped big-name streaming and esports figures from announcing their own NFT…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 9, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Will Now Take Action Against Threats, Violence, And Sexual Assault On Other Platforms
Many Twitch streamers have YouTube channels, and vice versa. They also have Twitter pages, Instagrams, TikToks, SnapChats, and basically every other kind of account under the sun. For years, Twitch has taken activity on other platforms into account when deciding to suspend or ban streamers, albeit inconsistently—and typically only when an infraction had also happened…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 7, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch’s ‘Hot Tub Meta’ Has Sparked Off Yet Another Debate About Women’s Attire
Twitch trends come and go, but one thing remains constant: the endless debate around what women should be allowed to wear on the platform. Now it comes in a summery new flavor: hot tub streams. Recently, streamers have declared these broadcasts the new “meta,” outraging the usual suspects—but also leading some female streamers to voice…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 2, 2021