Chess Grandmaster GMHikaru signs with Kick, streaming community reacts

On March 29, 2023, Kick's official Twitter handle revealed that Twitch streamer and Chess Grandmaster Hikaru "GMHikaru" has officially joined the platform. It was also announced that the content creator will go live on Wednesday at 11:00 am EST.

The revelation went viral on the internet, with discussion threads on social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter attracting numerous fan reactions.

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"This is a fire pickup" - Streaming community reacts as GMHikaru officially joins Kick

Kick has been making headlines in recent days, with the platform's ambassadors, Tyler "Trainwreckstv" and Adin Ross, teasing that they have signed six popular content creators.

On March 26, 2023, prominent esports personality Jake "JakeSucky" shared a tweet, citing Adin Ross' claim that Kick had signed a "mega super-star" streamer:

On the same day, Trainwreckstv also shared some insights into the matter, stating that when the upcoming signings are revealed, Twitch and its "puppet f**k faces" will be shaken:

Trainwreckstv's tweet regarding the forthcoming signings on Kick (Image via Twitter)

Three days after the aforementioned tweets, Kick officially revealed the addition of GMHikaru to the platform. The announcement quickly gained traction, with Twitter user @BobbySolez writing:

"This (is) a fire pickup, I'm tapping into the streams, so I can finally learn how to play Chess."

Kick content creator Logi called the signing "insane," adding that the "King of Chess" coming to the "palace of streaming" was a perfect match:

One community member pondered who the remaining five personalities were:

Here are some more reactions from Twitter:

GMHikaru's move to Kick was a hot topic of conversation on the r/LivestreamFail subreddit. Redditor u/Mental-Sign181 speculated on whether the remaining signings were from the "W community":

Community on Reddit reacting to the streamer's move to Kick 1/4 (Image via r/LivestreamFail)

According to Reddit user u/Dolph-Ziggler, if the signings are not exclusive, then they are "sort of useless":

"Is it exclusive? The signings feel sort of useless otherwise."

Community on Reddit reacting to the streamer's move to Kick 2/4 (Image via r/LivestreamFail)

One fan speculated that popular Grand Theft Auto 5 roleplayer Lucas "Budda" will also join Kick:

Community on Reddit reacting to the streamer's move to Kick 3/4 (Image via r/LivestreamFail)

Here are some more pertinent reactions from the streamer-focused forum:

Community on Reddit reacting to the streamer's move to Kick 5/4 (Image via r/LivestreamFail)

In addition to GMHikaru, Kick has signed a contract with YouTuber and indefinitely banned Twitch streamer Steven "Destiny."

Destiny is currently on a three-month prohibitionary period on Twitch, during which time he will host eight Kick-exclusive livestreams per month.