Twitch has announced that they will be removing the ability for streamers to host another channel and creators are furious.
Throughout the years, many creators have looked at Twitch‘s host mode feature as a crucial part of discovery on the platform.
Streamers are able to use their channel to host a friend’s stream while offline, while also providing viewers with a constant stream of content without having to manually find another creator.
On September 6, Twitch updated its website to reveal that they will be removing the feature — and streamers aren’t exactly happy.
Twitch removes host mode
Under the Frequently Asked Questions section of its website, Twitch revealed that Host Mode will be removed on October 3, 2022.
After the removal of host mode on that date, streamers’ list of channels they used to automatically host will be changed to “Suggested Channels” in the dashboard.
They added an explanation as to why they’re removing the feature as well.
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“We made the decision to deprecate this feature because the experience it delivers to viewers doesn’t match their expectations when they come to Twitch,” it reads.
“Viewers want to interact with a streamer when they’re live and host mode blocks this from happening. Preventing viewers from interacting with the streamer they’re watching also limits a streamer’s growth potential because they’re not able to build meaningful connections with those new viewers.”
Streamers slam Twitch for host mode removal
Shortly after the removal announcement, it began making its way around Twitter. Twitch streamers took to their accounts to slam the website for removing the feature.
Popular XSET member JaredFPS commented: “Twitch is getting rid of Hosts. Just can’t understand what’s going on over there.”
Twitch partner xxBrandy slammed the platform for its lack of discoverability: “Twitch is removing hosts? Why? The discoverability is already so difficult on this platform and now another avenue of helping others to get more attention is being removed. I don’t understand this move or how @Twitch thinks this will be more beneficial to its users…”
Other streamers on the platform, like iMoparHD, have mentioned that he doesn’t know anyone that actually watches people when they’re just being hosted, and claimed that it would be a bigger deal if Twitch removed raids.
