Twitch Eliminates Beloved Game Developer Feature Due to “Illegitimate” Requests

Twitch has recently removed verification badges for game developers, eliminating the visual indicators that previously highlighted who was active in the chat.

The platform offers an extensive range of games, catering to diverse interests. Occasionally, players can witness both emerging and established developers engaging with their audience by playtesting their own titles or soliciting feedback from streamers who are showcasing their games.

Numerous indie titles have experienced significant success largely due to their developers’ close connection with the Twitch community. Popular examples include Among Us, Phasmophobia, and Getting Over It, which gained traction through active engagement.

To provide developers with visibility on Twitch, the Amazon-operated platform implemented a verification system that granted them a badge next to their username in chats, signifying their expertise and authority in their respective games.

However, this global badge system has now been discontinued, at least for the time being.

Screenshot of Twitch's game dev badge — Twitch

The Game Dev badge has been officially retired from Twitch.

The decision stemmed from the influx of both “genuine and fraudulent” badge requests. As a result, the badge has been “decommissioned,”and the existing request queue is set to be cleared.

While Twitch recognizes the advantages of functionality that informs developers when streamers are playing their titles, there are currently “no plans” to revisit this concept.

The Amazon-owned platform plans to resume its Developer Organization reviews in November, which enable developers to integrate extensions, drops, and additional features into their game categories on Twitch.

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