Twitch Addresses Allegations of No Longer Being a “Gaming Website”

During a recent Patch Notes livestream, Twitch’s Head of Community and Senior Producer addressed viewer inquiries about the platform’s evolution, particularly regarding its identity as a “gaming website.”

Initially, Twitch gained prominence primarily for video game streaming. However, the platform has since diversified, offering a broad range of content that includes Just Chatting sessions, travel vlogs, and various other themes.

Notably, Just Chatting has emerged as one of the platform’s leading categories, leading some traditional gaming fans to express their concerns about streamers engaging with audiences without gameplay.

This topic was raised by a viewer during the October 16 Patch Notes event, prompting a response from Twitch’s Head of Community, ‘merrykish,’ and Senior Producer, ‘ZachariusD.’

Despite Just Chatting’s popularity, the platform remains rich in gaming content.

“Why is Twitch no longer considered a gaming site?”inquired one viewer.

“I would argue that Twitch still fundamentally operates as a gaming website,”Kish responded. “We have an immense volume of gaming-related content. However, Just Chatting has held the top spot for the last three years.”

“This trend reflects the preferences of our community. It shows what audiences enjoy and find valid on this platform,”she continued.

“Gaming will forever remain our core strength. It’s a remarkable aspect of our service. The popularity of Just Chatting indicates a demand for non-gaming content, and we embrace that alongside the exciting games our viewers love.”

The responses to Kish’s remarks were varied, with some viewers in agreement while others criticized the Just Chatting category for featuring content that might not be appropriate for younger viewers, such as hot tub streams or other trending topics.

Twitch has implemented measures to protect viewers under 18, including enabling streamers to apply content classification labels to their streams and enforcing a dress code, which was discussed in their latest Enforcement Notes announcement.

Representatives from Twitch also mentioned that an upcoming stream would elaborate on the attire policy, particularly for VTubers who expressed concern regarding the Enforcement Notes. They clarified that the rules apply equally to both real-life streamers and their digital counterparts.

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