How Twitch Removing Host Mode Could Impact Online Communities
Twitch has finally gone ahead and removed its Host Mode function, but it's a decision that users are struggling to understand. Out of all currently available streaming platforms, Twitch remains one of, if not the biggest one that users will choose when it comes to following creators they like, seeing content they enjoy, and being a part of a community. The latest change appears to be a step backward, as it begins to weaken these online communities with seemingly no benefit.
The Host Mode function was an ideal way of encouraging fans to find other content creators, as it passively utilized a channel's downtime by generated a consistent cycle of user engagement. At face value it was a net positive for all, where hosting helped channels succeed as creators advertised like-minded communities, all while Twitch could keep users on-site. The removal of this mode appears to only have depreciating results looking into the future.
Why Twitch Streamers Are Moving to YouTube
Host Mode was a useful function for channels that essentially allowed them to platform other content creators during downtime. So should one streamer be away on holiday, taking a break from streaming, or just not streaming that day, their channel could be used to showcase another. Whether it was to help support a friend's channel or boost small creators who are deserving of more recognition, the Host Mode allowed users to foster better informed, safer communities across Twitch's platform.
Not only does this benefit the channels themselves, it gives viewers and fans of those channels a source of recommendations not based on algorithms, but on genuine human connections. For example, Ninja's meteoric rise on Twitch via streaming Fortnite meant he could host another
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