Viewcounts of top Twitch streamers plummet after platform cracks down on view bots

At the end of July, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy announced that the platform was taking steps to address view bots. These bots can be scripts that play videos in a headless browser or imitate real viewers with fraudulent accounts. Recently, the scope of the problem became obvious. Many top Twitch streamers are now experiencing dramatic drops in view counts.

Despite the risk of bans, broadcasters on Twitch, as well as YouTube and Kick, use view bots to boost their statistics. The higher a Twitch streamer ranks in viewership, the easier it is for new viewers to find a channel. Also, casters can attract more lucrative sponsorships when companies perceive them as popular. However, advertisers often waste money when ads result in fake impressions.

Even though view bots are against the Twitch TOS, without hard proof, abusers have often been ignored. Still, mounting criticism from users and even some streamers may have influenced Clancy to take action. According to the CEO, the site modified its source code to better identify and eliminate botting.

Twitch’s efforts have resulted in some staggering falls in view counts. Top Twitch streamers, including Asmongold’s alt account zackrawrr, XQC, and Mizkif, are all seeing lower numbers. Zackrawrr’s last two streams averaged 29,000 to 30,000 viewers, while his average over the past three months is just under 50,000.

The last broadcast for Mizkif also caught the attention of audiences. The co-founder of the OTK organization averaged 9,142 viewers, representing a steep drop-off from his three-month mark of 17,126.

Some followers have noted that popular personalities have cancelled or avoided casting in recent days. Twitch is constantly battling view bot services that look to counter the changes the platform makes. It’s possible that these streamers may be seeking workarounds to avoid exposing their reliance on bots. Only time will tell if Twitch has solved the issue or if viewer counts will rebound.