Twitch streamers boycott the paid boost feature after its launch despite vehement backlash

On October 1, Twitch announced that it would test a new paid feature called "Boost this Stream" with a small group of streamers, where users could pay money to promote streamer channels of their choice. However, the feature faced vehement backlash from the community, as users revealed that this would essentially make the platform 'pay-to-win.'

After such a powerful negative response, users expected the platform would not go through with announcing the pay-to-boost feature officially. However, much to their surprise, Twitch officially announced the feature in the US on October 28, 2021.

Fans and streamers alike are shocked by the platform ignoring their requests, and therefore, streamers have urged their fans not to use the feature to boost their channels.

Twitch streamers request fans to refrain from using the new paid boost feature on their channels

Streamers on Twitch are protesting vehemently against the blatant disregard that the platform has shown towards their opinions regarding its newest features. Therefore, they have decided to protest against the new paid boost feature in the most logical manner possible, i.e, by boycotting it.

Streamers have urged fans not to use the boost feature to promote their channel, since they do not want to participate in the pay-to-win nature that the purple platform is slowly taking.

Furthermore, it should also be noted that the streamers themselves do not get any of the money that viewers are donating to boost their channels. All the money goes to the platform itself. Thus, they are simply helping the Amazon-owned streaming platform earn more money under the guise of "promoting" their favorite streamers.

Although Twitch is still the leading platform for streamers to showcase their content, other platforms such as YouTube Gaming and Facebook are slowly but steadily catching up. Furthermore, the Amazon-owned platform is not really helping its cause by releasing and promoting more paid features which simply benefit the platform instead of helping streamers on their platform grow. The new "Boost this Stream" feature simply makes discoverability harder for smaller streamers who are already struggling to make it big within the community.

About the author

Riddhima Pal is an entertainment writer at Sportskeeda with an M.A. in English Literature. Her passion for watching a variety of movies and series, combined with her love for writing, led her to her current role. Riddhima, who has previously worked at Essentially Sports, Firstsportz, and The Ayurveda Experience, values readership numbers and considers being referenced by top websites and brands as key achievements in her career.

As an entertainment writer, Riddhima greatly appreciates the variety of genres she can explore, finding it essential to avoid monotonous work. She ensures accuracy in her reportage by using official social media handles and credible websites that provide verified sources in their articles.

As a creative, Riddhima draws inspiration from artists like Robert De Niro, Sebastian Stan, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Hathaway, and Meryl Streep. She admires their versatility and ability to execute a wide range of roles perfectly. In her free time, Riddhima enjoys painting and listening to music.

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