Twitch streamers are fed up. Recent hate raids on the platform have targeted persons of color and LGBTQ+ streamers, and are performed using bots that spam hateful language in a streamer’s chat, including slurs. To avoid being banned, the bots use a combination of letters from different languages to get around the stream word filter.
Though there have been tons of calls asking for action by Twitch from users both big and small, many content creators believe that the streaming juggernaut isn’t making enough effort to shut down the harassment. In response to Twitch’s inaction, users of the platform have put together a daylong boycott of the platform called “A Day Off Twitch,” which takes place today.
While streamers will be stepping away from Twitch, A Day Off of Twitch doesn’t mean you can’t still get your streaming fix. We’ve put together a list of a few places where you can check out different streams while avoiding Twitch. These are also platforms you can explore if you’re thinking about leaving Twitch for good.
Facebook Gaming
Facebook recently began pushing to become a new face in the gaming livestream sphere. Though it hasn’t been too successful yet, it’s still a site worth mentioning. After all, there are certain streamers who are actually exclusive to Facebook, so the platform seems to be serious about growing and fostering talent. Don’t expect a selection even close to that of Twitch or YouTube, but it’s a space that could grow if Twitch users start seriously looking at alternatives.
YouTube
YouTube is one of the most obvious alternatives to Twitch. Being the second-largest streaming platform gives it just as wide a variety of streamers to search through and enjoy. Dr. Lupo even signed an exclusive deal with YouTube this week, showing that the platform is serious about picking up high-profile talent. Like Twitch, you can browse through a list of games or a listing of every current stream to find whatever you’d like to watch.
Picarto
Gaming isn’t the only attraction that Twitch boasts. Many viewers come to watch art streams, and that’s what Picarto specializes in. Picarto hosts a wide variety of different artists spanning a multitude of styles, and many popular artists even use it as a go-to for livestreams. You can head over to the site now and click on the Explore tab to see the kind of content currently up on the website and start following some artists.
Trovo
Trovo.live is a site where those familiar with Twitch will feel right at home. It has a lot of similarities with Twitch, right down to its familiar UI (honestly, it looks nearly identical to Twitch). Though the userbase is currently a lot smaller than that of Twitch, Trovo offers a good selection of streamers and games to watch. You may even find a new player to watch regularly. Click on the Games tab to start browsing through popular categories, from Grand Theft Auto V to Minecraft. The only rub here is that the service is owned by Tencent, a corporation that has a dicey reputation with gamers.
TikTok
TikTok is one of the latest video content websites to quickly become a juggernaut in the space. It’s been known more for short-form video content previously, but it was only a matter of time before it added a livestream option. It’s not a platform that you’ll likely see a lot of gaming on (its vertical video orientation makes that difficult), but for fans of using Twitch for following personalities or “Just Chatting” streams, this might be an especially good choice.
