Twitch announced major product updates at its tenth anniversary TwitchCon in Rotterdam amid shifts in the live-streaming market regarding viewership patterns and platform competition.

The Amazon-owned platform reveals new mobile-focused features and monetization options while overall live-streaming viewership increases 8.9% year-over-year to 8.9 billion hours watched in Q1 2025, according to Stream Hatchet data.

“TwitchCon is our largest annual IRL gathering, bringing together our global community of streamers, viewers, and brands in a powerful way,” Dan Clancy, CEO of Twitch, said in a statement. “We’re introducing new tools and features to help streamers grow.”

Image: Clancy at TwitchCon Rotterdam 2025

According to Twitch’s blog post, key announcements focus on enhancing mobile experiences and creator monetization. Twitch is introducing vertical streaming capabilities and dual-format options, allowing streamers to broadcast simultaneously in horizontal and vertical formats. The platform is also rolling out 2K streaming in open beta for Partners and Affiliates using enhanced broadcasting technology that automatically adjusts stream quality based on viewer bandwidth.

To expand its global reach, Twitch is launching right-to-left Arabic language support this summer. The company also unveils “Combos,” a new feature enabling viewers to support creators with Bits while triggering escalating visual effects during streams. Partners and Affiliates gain access to streamer-led gift subscription promotions offering 35% off bundles of 5+ gift subs, with 70 promotional hours available annually.

Twitch is revising its Affiliate program requirements to make monetization more accessible, while also adding rewind functionality for viewers to catch up on missed content. For moderators, the platform is introducing Mobile Mod View for Android and creating a new Twitch Moderators Club to empower the community among those managing channels.

Market Share and Content Trends Shifts

According to Stream Hatchet, Twitch maintained its live streaming market leadership in Q1 2025 with a 58.9% share of all hours watched, despite experiencing a 6.9% decline in viewership compared to Q1 2024. Alternative platforms drive sector growth, with YouTube Gaming seeing a 25% year-over-year increase and Kick reporting a 112% rise.

The Korean streaming market is undergoing reorganization following Twitch’s exit, with local platforms SOOP Korea and Chzzk growing to occupy a combined 5.9% market share.

Non-gaming solidifies its position as the most-watched content category, growing 25.6% year-over-year to reach 1.54 billion hours watched in Q1 2025. Among gaming categories, only Shooter and Action games experienced increases in viewership (13.4% and 15.9%, respectively).

All images are credited to Twitch.