Twitch is Getting Rid of the Host Feature

gamerant.com:

Popular Twitch streamers have been utilizing the host function offered on the platform to support friends and other creators when they aren't streaming, but that's coming to an end soon. Hosting has been a prominent feature on Twitch since 2014, but the Amazon livestreaming service has confirmed that hosting will be removed later this year.

Twitch recently updated its frequently asked questions section to reflect the fact that the hosting feature will disappear on October 3, leaving streamers less than a month to get those last-minute hosts in. This feature is commonly utilized while a livestreamer is offline. They host another channel by exposing their viewers to it within their own page which increases the potential for viewers to merge communities. Because renowned streamers like Critical Bard, JaredFPS, iMoparHD, and xxBrandy have experimented with the Twitch hosting function, many content creators including the aforementioned livestreamers have spoken out against the big change to the platform.

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Twitch streamers that have a regular group of channels that are automatically hosted after they go offline will see these users as «Suggested Channels» after the removal of hosting on October 3. According to Twitch, this change is being made to the platform because «the experience it delivers to viewers doesn’t match their expectations when they come to Twitch.” The update also suggests that although hosting on Twitch can be beneficial, it also may limit „a streamer's growth potential because they’re not able to build meaningful connections“ with their audience.

After the removal of the host function, Twitch recommends that livestreamers that wish to support other content creators