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Twitch Latest Updates- Keep Up with the Evolving Streaming App for Gamers

Twitch Latest Updates- Keep Up with the Evolving Streaming App for Gamers

Date: March 13, 2023

You can bookmark this blog to keep up with the Twitch latest updates as soon as they are announced by developers.

The history of Twitch goes back to 2011 when  Justin Kan and Emmett Shear, co-founders of Justin.tv decided to launch a gaming-specific spinoff of the platform and call it Twitch. The platform got popular very fast among gamers across the globe. According to Twitch Statistics, in February 2023, it hosted over 2.5 million viewers on average on the platform.

The growth of Twitch is definitely credited to two factors- it was an early player dedicated to the gaming industry specifically which gave it an amazing boost in the market, and second, the platform kept evolving and releasing new updates to stay user-friendly. 

This one of the best TV streaming apps to watch live TV for gamers has always been an easy-to-use platform for multitasking like streaming while gaming, broadcasting, communicating with fellow gamers, etc, Twitch offered some super user-friendly features. 

Twitch's latest updates at your fingertips

In this blog, we are listing down every single phase of Twitch updates since the original release of your favorite streaming platform. These updates will help you in understanding what it took to make Twitch a great platform of today. 

So, if you randomly sometimes wonder what is the latest update of the Twitch app, you can even bookmark this page so that in the future anytime you need an update you want to read about, you can explore this page as we will keep updating it as new updates are released in the market.

1. 2022- Building a much smarter experience

  • Twitch adopted Automated Chaos Testing to keep its Android and iOS apps along with web clients in check. These tests are used every night to predict and avoid any possible platform failures.
  • The Ads Incentive program (AIP) got expanded to support more Twitch partners along with increased payouts. Replacing the fixed CPM structure, Twitch adopted a percentage-based revenue model as well paying 55% of the revenue for each ad on the stream.
  • Twitch adopted Machine Learning to review and approve emotes created by Twitch partners faster so they could avoid violating community guidelines.
  • Twitch announced customizable tags for streams.
  • Twitch streamers got new features to make their viewers more welcome. Chat Highlights and Cues were two top features released with this phase. Cues provided real-time insights, reminders, and suggestions to users.
  • In December, revamped analytics were rolled out to offer better insights into Twitch demographics and Twitch engagements. 
  • The Twitch engagement analytics were redesigned and new improved data was integrated. Twitch streamers could also explore better engagement analytics to plan their content accordingly for the platform.

2. 2021- Better Emotes, Better Connections!

  • To improve Twitch engagements further, Twitch released a dedicated page to make emote management a much easier task. Users could see Subscriber Emotes, Bits Tier Emotes, and Cheermotes as well.
  • Twitch followers got another update in June making animated emotes accessible to all Twitch partners. Twitch also rolled out an emote library on the Emotes page. 
  • New Twitch new features were announced for Drops including EventSub subscription type, Drops Fulfillment Status, Event-based Drops, and Enhanced Experiences API.
  • To make Twitch a safer space, new chat verification features like phone and email verification were added to the platform. 
  • In November, Twitch announced a new app for Nintendo Switch users.
  • Among the top Twitch app's latest updates for iOS users, the ability to provide recurring subs became quite popular. 
  • Affiliate emotes got new updates as well. For starters, the initial number of Affiliate emote slots were upgraded to five and now Affiliates had the option to unblock up to NINE slots after reaching a particular milestone. Affiliates also got one slot for animated emotes with an opportunity to unlock up to five animated emotes.

3. 2020- An universe of its own

  • Twitchverse, a new always-on digital aquarium was announced by Twitch. Every creature in this aquarium represented a Twitch partner making it easier for Twitch explorers to find new creators.
  • Among the Twitch new announcements of the year, a Mod View was announced to make it easier for Moderators to customize their tools depending on their requirements.
  • Twitch Studio Beta got some new updates like One-click Green Screen, Chrome Capture, Vulkan Game Capture, Multiple Audio Sources, etc.
  • Watch Parties were among the Twitch new features that users got excited about. The feature would allow people to watch movies and shows together from different locations.
  • The Channel Page was again revamped with new features like- a customizable Home, a Simplified Schedule feature, and some other minor tweaks.
  • The Twitch Studio Beta app became accessible for Mac users in June 2020 as well.
  • Twitch added Tier and Tier 3 subscriptions on the platform allowing users to access more digital goodies accordingly. 
  • In September 2020, all creators around the world could access Watch Parties.
  • Twitch announced Soundtrack, a tool for Twitch creators providing them with a selection of rights-cleared music choices.

4. 2019- Everything is better now!

  • New moderator tools were among the Twitch app's latest updates this year. These tools would provide moderators with more info about each member of a chatgroup to ensure they have better control over community engagement.
  • Co-streaming is what boosted the popularity of Twitch further and allowed streamers to engage with their communities better. 
  • Some new updates were launched to optimize the experience of viewers when a streamer is offline. Now viewers would see information about the channel along with the types of content published on the platform.
  • To build new monetized extensions, new features were announced including Subscription Status, Subscription Purchase Trigger, Bits Enablement, Bits Transaction History, Bits Enablement in Action, Live Emotes, Sound Alerts, Latest followers, and Twitch Picks.
  • Some Charity Extensions were announced like Tiltify Donations, DonorDrive, GameChanger, etc.
  • Subscriber’s streams were added for followers on Twitch to access broadcasters’ content that is limited to subscribers only. 
  • Twitch Studio was announced to make streaming faster and more optimized for broadcasters.
  • Twitch rolled out the ability to build and manage extensions within the console itself along with analytics dedicated to extensions specifically. Developers also got a dark mode for the developer console.
  • In November, Twitch Studio Beta became available for everyone with features like Guided Setup, Customizable Templates, Integrated Alerts, and more.

5. 2018- Know your viewers better

  • Among the major new updates of 2018, a revamped analytics page was added to the platform. 
  • The Revenue and Stats pages were integrated into Channel Analytics accessible from the dashboard of the app. These pages received some other visual modifications such as the Revenue and subscription data started getting displayed on the top.
  • A new update made it possible for creators to create and display overlays on videos that would cover smaller portions of the video players and enable local visibility controls for them. The update allowed streamers to activate up to three overlay extensions. 
  • Extensions optimized the experience for streamers to engage and grow the community. Now with bits, extensions also enabled greater support for partners, affiliates, and developers who are using these extensions. These extensions also provided support for Bits.
  • Twitch updated its Developers' Site to refine the theme of the platform. The platform upgraded its Search feature allowing it to explore the entire site to find results. Other updates included a revamped Support page and a new Homepage as well.
  • New updates focused on discovering new channels, streams, etc easier to help users find what they are looking for. These features were divided into three segments- Live, In Progress, and Planning. 
  • An option to use up to three extensions was added to the platform.
  • In August, Twitch announced that the ad-free Twitch Prime experience will not be a thing anymore to support Twitch streamers better.
  • Sound Alerts were integrated into the platform. Twitch broadcasters could upload their own sounds or select top sounds from other streamers to assign them to buttons of their choice so viewers can press the button and play the sound alert.
  • Automated extensions were one of the popular Twitch latest updates for all the right reasons. These extensions streamlined the future of extension management but to use them, users needed to log in to their Twitch account on the Player.me desktop app. 
  • Three new extensions were released during the holiday season of 2018; Christmas Tree, My Wishlist, and Tiltify Donations. 

6. 2017- Promoting interactions this year

  • Among the first major updates this year, Twitch Cheering got a new update. A New Top Cheer feature was integrated into the platform that allowed moderators to optimize the duration of the pinned cheer.
  • A Followers-only mode was introduced for the chat. Twitch streamers could restrict their chats to the people who have followed the account for a specific amount of time which can be manipulated by the moderators.
  • Clips became accessible from the channel page now. Viewers could see clips of streamers to find the best moments in 24 hours, a week, a month, or all time.
  • New notifications now alerted Twitch users whenever someone followed them, posted a comment, started streaming, or uploaded a video among other activities.
  • “Drops” is the new addition to the Twitch platform that allowed users to engage their players in new ways to improve the retention rate.
  • In May, users got the ability to browse clips on game directories and categories like IRL and Twitch Creative. 
  • Pulse is another feature that was added to the Twitch app allowing streamers to post and engage with all followers and the Twitch community from the front page of Twitch. 
  • Now users could create collections to show off and highlight their best videos on Twitch under various collections.
  • In March, the Twitch Desktop Beta app was released. Users also got the ability to create their own servers so their community members could hang out and stay in touch even when the creator is offline.
  • The Auto setting was introduced to offer interruption-free video streaming quality that the bandwidth of the internet could support. 
  • Twitch users now got $9.99 and $24.99 subscriptions that they could use to support their favorite streamers. 
  • Twitch announced Twitch Affiliate Program in April which helped streamers to start making money while growing their community in parallel. 
  • Partners also got a newly launched Verified Chat Badge to make them visible separately.
  • The newly updated Pulse feature brought comments and shares into existence for Twitch users.
  • AutoMod 2.0 applied a fancy algorithm to automatically detect chat messages violating the streamer’s chat rules. The update also expanded its database of globally banned words to make the Twitch experience safer.
  • A new feature allows Twitch users to speed up videos on past streams or they could slow them down. These settings were available for all saved videos on Twitch.
  • Twitch started beta testing for new interactive features on the Twitch app. These features included abilities such as knowing the games being played better, casting votes, playing mini-games, working as a team to achieve goals, and more.
  • The Twitch Stats page got an update as well. Due to this new update, the stats page would get updated in less than five minutes. The new format would allow users to “View Classic Stats”.
  • The Twitch Desktop App now supported Twitch Partner Servers allowing the platform to ensure that the entire server is composed of verified Twitch partners and staff.
  • A new Clip Manager was introduced to list all clips that you have created and all clips of your videos created by others in one place. These clips can be sorted on the basis of recency, game, channel, or date.
  • In July, a brand new Twitch app was launched making it easier to find people and streams that you love. The update also brought a much-requested feature for the platform- The Dark Mode.
  • A New Desktop app for Twitch was announced in August 2017. However, it was discontinued in 2022. The app included all Twitch features available for users on other platforms.
  • Twitch extensions were introduced allowing users to interact with the streamer, other viewers, or the game the streamer is playing. Users could see card information in games, and vote for the next move of the player among other abilities. 

7. 2016- It’s all about friends

  • A new update released on March 02, 2016 announced that all chats captured since February 23, 2016 will be included in Chat Replays alongside the videos.
  • A dedicated food channel was introduced on Twitch TV with cooking programs running 24/7. 
  • A new section on the Channel feed called Channel feed Beta was introduced to let users distribute and post content in a single place.
  • A new search was added in a new update to make finding friends to add them easier. The feature would show when Twitch friends are online with a green light once they accept the request.
  • A new option called Video Quality Options was added to provide Twitch Partners with the option to modify the streaming quality as soon as they would go live.
  • A new update made it easier for Twitch users to search for the content they are looking forward to streaming on the platform. The new search feature would support Games, Live Channels, Users, or Videos to show them in results.
  • Partners can now include ad-free viewing as an option with Channel Subscriptions. 
  • Twitch viewers can now send one message per month per channel once they renew their subscription. The feature supported personalized messages with emotes or generic messages that are predefined.
  • A new feature called Cheering was introduced so viewers can show support to their favorite streamers. Cheer messages are animated bits that Twitch users can buy to show support to their favorite creators.
  • An upcoming HTML5 Video Player Beta was announced by Twitch developers. The goal was to expand the beta access to a wider number of Twitch users by the end of summer.
  • Now users got the ability to post comments on Channel Feed posts of Twitch Partners they have subscribed to. 
  • To improve the chatting experience, Twitch announced the usage of Rich Texts across its platforms including the iOS app, Twitch UI, and Twitch Chatbox.
  • The New Mobile Host update allowed Twitch users to host all streamers from anywhere in the world. The Host option is available inside the gear icon in the menu.
  • For a much smoother experience, the integration of HTML5 was announced in the video player. This new update was done to offer a smoother experience, consistent video delivery, faster video loading, etc.
  • A new update was integrated into the chat feature to improve its overall performance and reduce the chat buffering time.
  • My Clips is the new update that Twitch got to make it easier to access popular videos and other recorded clips by the streamer. The page would include additional data such as who clipped the video, how many times it has been watched, which clip got popular, etc.
  • The new activity feed added to the platform allowed friends on Twitch to see each others’ activities on the platform. However, you can choose whether you want to share your activity with friends or not.
  • The localization for display names was added to the platform. Users could now see their exact display name in their native language starting with Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. 
  • To improve the chat moderation quality, new filters were introduced. These filters were Moderator Action Attribution, Chat Rules, and Chat Delay. Chat Rules allowed moderators to create their own chat rules to make the experience smoother for their followers.
  • An upgraded version of the Host Mode now allowed users to build and manage a list of channels to auto-host when offline. These streamers or channels could be of the same nature as the streamer.
  • Now Activity Feed became accessible from the chat section of the platform as well. Users could see which of their friends are already hanging out in the room or if a new friend joins the same room. However, users also got the option to hide their activity if they wanted.
  • Pinned cheers allowed chat moderators to pin any specific cheer of their choice on the top to display everyone else in the conversation. However, the person who cheered has the ability to unpin it.
  • Clip trimming, among the top new Twitch features, makes it easier for Twitch users to trim clips of their choice to share their favorite moments with the world.
  • Twitch iOS users now received access to Twitch stickers that they could use in texts. 
  • A new Mini Video Player was added to the platform allowing users to browse all content published by a channel along with the latest channel feed, panel info, etc. 

8. 2015- Getting musical and all that this year

  • Among the latest updates on Twitch, Twitch Partner Spotlight was the first major update that we can think of. The update was focused on providing equal opportunities to all broadcasters irrespective of their popularity to broadcast their talents to a wider audience. 
  • Every week, Twitch started announcing Partner spotlights for the next weeks. During this period, Twitch would mention highlighted broadcasters on its social media platforms and provided a high probability to display them on the front page of the website whenever they would go live.
  • A music library by Twitch was announced with music choices that would keep broadcasters safe from any copyright infringement or strikes. At the time of the introduction, the feature had over 500 options. 
  • A beta music category was announced as well to provide music creators to create, perform, and present original music.
  • A persistent player was added to the Twitch iOS and Android app allowing users the ability to watch videos simultaneously and browse for other content. Additionally, the Audio-only mode was announced for Android users as well.
  • A new chat update added capitalization respect for the Display Name and username of users. 
  • Now users could mention other Twitch users in chats on their smartphones as well.
  • A new content-appealing process was introduced by Twitch authorities. Users could now see the status of their appeal and they would also receive a notification in their email informing them of the status of the appeal.
  • The VOD feature was announced for smartphone users as well. Now on smartphones, users will be able to watch highlights and past broadcasts of Twitch partners. 
  • The Twitch subscription process was revamped adding a revamped payment page, subscription bundles, etc.
  • HTML5 Chats were introduced with better speed and efficiency.
  • Push notifications were announced for Twitch Android users to deliver them alerts whenever broadcasters they follow would go live.
  • In November 2015, two-factor security authentication was introduced on a voluntary basis for Twitch users.
  • The Whispers feature was announced for selected Android users initially. The feature made it possible to chat privately with other Twitch users.
  • Users can now update thumbnails of past videos on the platform by editing them from the video manager.
  • Whispers 2.0 was introduced for iOS devices with a revised UI.
  • Twitch now onboarded the world of Android TV as well.
  • Now users could upload custom Thumbnails on their VODs as well.
  • Another revamp was done to the Whispers feature with a dedicated button on the bottom right to start the chat, improved notification management, a DND mode, and more.

9. 2014- Optimizing the mobile experience

  • Among the Twitch new announcements released early in 2014, a revamp for the Settings page of the platform was introduced. Users could now update their info such as Display Name, Email, Picture, Timezone, etc. The page also added updates for settings like managing channel configurations, security settings, notifications, connections, and more.
  • The serving capacity of the Twitch Los Angeles Point of Presence (POP) was upgraded by roughly 400% and Sound Blaster 16 sound card, a vintage Anderson-Jacobson acoustic modem along with cutting-edge Courier External 56K* V.92 Global Dial-up Business Modem were installed for backward compatibility.
  • On February 09, 2014, Twitch announced that it had One million monthly active broadcasters on the platform in January month of the year.
  • A new message was installed that would be displayed if there was any error in loading ads. The message would give viewers an option to either dismiss it or let it be played for the length of the original advertisement. In case an ad block is installed or there are any possible glitches, the message would be displayed to the user.
  • Some networking configurations and fundamental issues with redis servers were fixed through another new update to smoothen out Twitch services.
  • To improve the server and client-side performance and functionality, new Twitch updates for chats were announced. The look of the user card was updated, channel emoticons were moved, and a temporary feed pause upon scroll was introduced. The way the Viewer List window loaded was also revamped along with new features to be updated.
  • The Twitch London Point of Presence (POP) was upgraded boosting the capacity of  servers by 200%. 
  • The Twitch Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK) was announced to increase the support for cross-community support. The SDK offered features like the ability to capture and broadcast gameplay videos and audio, video capture using a front-facing camera, audio capturing using an external camera, etc. 
  • Version 3.0 of the Twitch iOS app was announced with an overhauled UI to leverage the abilities of iOS 7. New features such as offline channel search and profile display were added along with a better chat experience. The new iOS app had a fresh look, expanded search, improved chat experience, and new broadcaster profiles.
  • With now supporting over 700,000 chatters per day on the platform, Twitch announced the beta initiative for Group Chat. 
  • The Infinite Scrolling feature was announced which removed the Load More button and let users scroll everything on a single page. 
  • Twitch announced the elimination of its language-specific websites. Instead, the platform announced that all users will be using the same website in their preferred languages across the globe. The webpage will automatically be updated into their preferred language depending on their browser settings and cookies data.
  • The App for iOS v.3.0.4 was announced with an audio-only mode that allowed users to hear broadcasts when the app is in the background or the phone is locked. 
  • The mobile webpage was revamped to provide a cleaner and more much-optimized app usage experience to users.
  • Twitch for Android V3.0 was announced with new visual modifications and new additions like User Profiles.
  • In chats, another update made it possible to mention users to talk to them directly on the platform.
  • New updates for VODs were introduced including better quality for international viewers, the ability to watch VODs on phones, securing storage of past broadcasts, exporting highlights of any length on YouTube, and more.
  • Two new updates on August 07, 2014, were announced- the removal of the limit on highlights, and the addition of an appeal button for flagged VODs for copyrighted music.
  • A new localization update was announced to support languages like Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Spain), Swedish and, Chinese (traditional). 
  • An upcoming feature was announced that allowed Twitch viewers to follow specific games to get updates for the same.
  • New supported payment methods to get subscriptions were announced. The platform now supported everything from Bitcoins to gift cards, etc. 
  • New data was added into the Host Mode like Concurrent viewers by channel, Video Plays by channel, and Follows by channel.
  • Twitch announced that now Android and iOS app users of Twitch will be able to follow games just like the feature was available for the web app. The view included three parts- All live games and channels that users followed, A list of all followed channels, and A list of all followed games.
  • A notification center widget was also introduced for iOS 8. 
  • A new update allowed international viewers to see better recommendations depending on their language by providing them with broadcasts matching their spoken language.
  • Global chat moderators were announced for the platform who would help the platform manage and moderate global chats.


10. 2013- Making moments last forever

“During the last two years, Twitch has become the world’s largest video platform and community for gamers. We’re experiencing incredible growth in viewers tuning in, with thousands of new content creators signing up every day.  The availability of tools like XSplit, which allows our broadcasters to configure and stream their gameplay, is a large reason why more and more broadcasters are able to easily set up a Twitch channel.  XSplit Broadcaster is the preferred choice by many of our broadcasters, so we look forward to putting this new version of the product in the hands of live streamers on Twitch.”

-Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch

  • One of the most anticipated Twitch new features of the year, XSplit 1.2 came with significant performance enhancements. The update made it easier to customize the Twitch experience to make it more friendly for users.
  • Twitch announced an official blog that aimed to publish editorials covering the journey of Twitch throughout the years.
  • A partnership with GOMTV was announced to broadcast the 2013 StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Code-S, as well as Code-A seasons.
  • On January 28, 2013, Twitch users received a new feature that allowed users to register for Mobile notifications via SMS. Users could add their mobile numbers and turn notifications on for their preferred channels to receive notifications through messages. 
  • Along with Twitch Turbo (an-ad free Twitch experience), a redesigned Directory Page was announced as well. The new directory aimed at making it easier for users to explore and find videos to stream. 
  • In February, Twitch announced broadcasting support for the free-to-play online multiplayer FPS Firefall.
  • A new dynamic title update was announced for the Channel Page Beta and a new update to the video directory allowed Twitch users to browse Twitch videos depending on specific game titles.
  • A new video player was announced by Twitch that looked similar to its predecessor but had a few tweaks applied to the platform. To build the player, developers rewrote the code from scratch and integrated many visual and performance improvements.
  • A Live Notifications feature was added to the Directory Page to provide users with an alert every time Twitch live streamers they follow go live.
  • The earlier limit on the number of channels viewers could follow was 100 but now, Twitch developers updated an extension of this limit to 2000 to help Twitch streamers further. 
  • In April, Twitch announced the release of the 2.3.2 version of the iOS app with plenty of fixes for issues that bothered users of its previous version. 
  • In the same month, Twitch announced the kickstart of the redevelopment of its Android app from scratch to give it some significant improvements. 
  • New modifications were made to the game directories to highlight content and the greatest moments of broadcasters. 
  • The new layout automatically landed viewers on the most popular videos of any game and archives of the most watched videos of the week as well.
  • Twitch 2.3.3 version for the iOS app was released with many bug fixes. 
  • The Twitch app for Xbox 360 was announced as well with the initial release of the app for the US-based Xbox Live Gold Subscribers. The app allowed Xbox 360 users to access up to 300 live channels.
  • On May 23, 2013, Twitch invited new signups for the next 48 hours, or 1500 signups for its Beta version of the Android app.
  • A new feature called Bookmark was released so viewers could generate a shareable link for the exact moment of a stream they wanted to share with others. 
  • A Highlight feature was announced so broadcasters and editors could highlight their favorite moments from videos. The feature was being tested for viewers as well to make it possible for them to share their favorite moments of videos.
  • In June 2013, Twitch a new SDK with new features along with a Developer Portal for the community to access the Twitch toolkit for developers.
  • In the same month, Twitch announced the expansion of its new data centers in Europe to improve the overall quality of the service in the region.
  • Nvidia Shield adopted Twitch on its Android-supported platform as a preinstalled app.
  • A new update for the offline video player (the player that is visible to the audience on a streamer’s channel when the streamer is not online) of Twitch was announced. The new offline player featured very recent highlights of the channel users have landed on. 
  • However, to ensure the image of the streamer remains visible on the offline player, the video will be only visible on the bottom third of the video player.
  • New updates were released for the Android app of Twitch. Now, users could log in to the Twitch account and review followed channels. Some other updates were persistent logins, following directory, account logout, and Kabam integration.
  • Your Profile feature was introduced that included a Live/offline status, cover picture, profile avatar, bio, videos, follow lists and other such information. The goal was to introduce your viewers to you and help them know you better.
  • The Search feature has been reintroduced to the mobile apps of Twitch and supported only mobile-viewable videos. Apps also started offering a full-screen chat mode for users. 
  • The new iOS update brought many improvements to the app and increased the number of channels from 200 to 750. 
  • The update also brought a makeover for the chat feature along with support for emoticons. Additionally, users who had connected their Steam accounts with Twitch were eligible for DOTA 2 item drops for viewing eligible mobile streams. 
  • In August, Twitch announced that it is planning to set some minimum requirements for Broadcasting.
  • The opt-in feature called “Do not record my broadcasts” was introduced.
  • Now broadcasters had the option to allow only email-verified viewers to join conversations during broadcasts.
  • The Twitch app for Android 2.0 made chats accessible on the smartphone as well starting with the support for minimum Android 4.0 phones.
  • A couple of new modifications were made to the video system to make the streaming experience less choppy. 
  • A new update made it possible for Twitch users to review everyone they follow on the right portion of the Directory.

11. 2012- Partnering with big brands for starters

  • This year, TwitchTV announced its partnerships with multiple leading game developers of the era including Sony Online Entertainment, EA Origin, and Paradox Interactive with the goal to make the streaming way easier for games developed by these studios.
  • The partnership with EA Origin allowed users to broadcast from Origin directly to the gamer’s Twitch account by signing in to the Twitch account on Origin.
  • Gamers also got the ability to add games purchased via sources apart from Origin to their My Games library in Origin making it easier for them to access, manage, and broadcast games. 
  • In November, TwitchTV announced a complete revamp of the Twitch channel pages to integrate a more streamlined design that allowed streamers to display information to viewers in a more convenient way. 
  • The update was released in three phases- The Beta Phase to test this new design allowed streamers to test and provide feedback before the design is actually released. At this phase, only streamers could see new changes in the design.
  • The Viewer Opt-in phase provided viewers with an option to sign up for the new design if they wanted or they could just stay onboard on the old design. The goal of both phases was to collect feedback and then release a final version of the redesign for everyone in the third phase.
  • Twitch users could submit feedback on feedback@twitch.tv, through blog post comments, Twitter responses, and Facebook comments.
  • Developers of TwitchTV announced that the goal of redesigning the platform was to add more customization to the platform, providing the option to engage with communities better, gather donations, and provide users the ability to explore more channels or new content to enjoy easily.
  • A new update allowed users to export their uncut Broadcasting videos to YouTube by adding them to the highlights first. You can export the entire broadcast or in pieces.
  • This new update made it easy to promote broadcasting videos through highlights and the modification was also well-suited for the future plans of TwitchTV to integrate highlights across more pages of the platform like video feed or new channels.
  • A ChipIn Donation Panel was announced by developers in December. A new ChipIn widget would support online donations at no additional cost. 
  • Developers also decided to bring back Background Images on the platform after users’ requests. The image could be added on the channel page beneath the title and game settings. 
  • The Viewer Beta Opt-in also started sending notifications to Twitch viewers so they can begin browsing the new channel pages. The goal is to gather feedback from real people and prepare a final version of the channel pages accordingly.
  • Twitch restarted to promote Streamception, an update that was initially launched in December 2012 to promote less popular Twitch streamers. Users could set views caps, select specific games, etc and explore streams randomly.


12. 2011- A journey to transform the e-sports Industry

“This is just the start of what we want to build. We designed this site to support the e-sports community. Since everyone on the team is a gamer, it’s a site made by e-sports fans, for e-sports fans.” 

- Emmett Shear, Co-founder of TwitchTV

  • Justin.tv announced the launch of TwitchTV on June 06, 2011, to target the e-sports community across the world. The platform used Justin.tv’s video streaming infrastructure to provide broadcasting services to its target users. 
  • At the time of its initial launch, the platform has integrated support for an innovative partner program that allowed gamers and tournaments to share the ad revenue on video streams.
  • The platform also started beta testing other programs like pay-per-view and subscriptions to access the exclusive content of streamers along with ad-free viewing.
  • During its first year, the platform focused on promoting the broadcasting of e-games, tournaments, and commentaries.
Arpit Dubey

By Arpit Dubey LinkedIn Icon

Arpit is a dreamer, wanderer, and a tech nerd who loves to jot down tech musings and updates. With a logician mind, he is always chasing sunrises and tech advancements while secretly preparing for the robot uprising.

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