Topping this week’s charts are the most consistent performers of late, with Félix “xQc” Lengyel continuing to assert himself as Twitch’s leading variety streamer. However, the sustained popularity of battle royale titles has helped another name rise up to contend with Lengyel and possibly challenge for his place on the platform.
Twitch’s Top Channel – xQc
For much of the year, first place on the weekly Top 10 has been dominated by Valve esports broadcasters, but right underneath those event-based channels was Lengyel, continuing to grow his presence as a variety streamer. During any lull in that esports activity, he has immediately asserted himself as the top streamer of Twitch during the COVID-19 era, this week generating 2.58M hours watched.
This week’s number two, however, has also established himself as a potential contender for the throne. Formerly a Fortnite streamer, Nick “NICKMERCS” Kolcheff transitioned to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s battle royale mode Warzone, and has steadily risen to become not only one of the category’s biggest streamers, but one of the most popular on the platform. His rise speaks to both the slow decline of Fortnite (which remains extremely popular, but not the goliath it was in 2018) and the enduring popularity of the battle royale genre.
Rather, the genre has become saturated with a wide array of titles catering to different tastes. On Twitch, while Fortnite remains a big name and a place for streamers to find success, the game’s biggest names are seeking new opportunities in Warzone, and audiences have followed.
Twitch’s Top Content – Just Chatting
On the content side, with single-player games and special events out of the way for the moment, this week’s list emphasizes the sustainability of the biggest IPs on Twitch. Many of the games listed are over five years old, some are part of decades-old franchises. The only title less than two years old is VALORANT – a game iterating on one of the oldest genres in PC gaming and developed by the company that created one of the most enduring esports of the modern era.
Those outside of the gaming space often talk about the challenges of dealing with the rapidly-changing nature of gaming trends, but the reality is that the biggest franchises and the most successful titles have proven their sustainability.
