Skip to main content

Microsoft is shuttering Mixer as it partners with Facebook Gaming

 

Microsoft announced it will shutter its Mixer streaming service on July 22 and start transitioning the service’s content producers and users to Facebook Gaming. When Mixer shuts down, all of Mixer’s sites and apps will redirect to their new homes on Facebook Gaming, the company said on Monday.

Recommended Videos

The surprise move comes as Microsoft’s Mixer failed to gain a footing in the increasingly crowded game-streaming business dominated by Amazon’s Twitch and YouTube. Microsoft said the agreement is “a key part of a broader effort that Xbox and Facebook Gaming are embarking on, bringing new experiences and opportunities to Facebook.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

But it may not only be Facebook Microsoft decides to partner within the coming months and years. The company was quick to note in its Monday blog post that as the Xbox Series X and its Project xCloud game-streaming service launch, it plans to be “working with different partners, platforms, and communities for years to come.”

Although Microsoft’s decision will be a shift for Mixer users, it could be a boon for the service’s creators. Microsoft said on Monday that Facebook Gaming has more than 700 million people who use Facebook Gaming to play games, watch videos, or in some way, interact with others each month. Microsoft didn’t say how many active users Mixer had leading up to this announcement, but a Mediakix survey last year estimated Mixer’s monthly active user count at 10 million people.

But not everyone is so sure they’ll be making the move to Facebook Gaming. Ninja, one of the most prominent game streamers who exclusively creates content on Mixer, tweeted on Monday that he has “some decisions to make” about Facebook Gaming and will be “thinking” about his community of users before he does so. Ninja has attracted more than 67 million views since joining Mixer in August.

Interestingly, Microsoft isn’t entirely shelving Mixer’s technology. The company said that it will utilize some of its underlying low-latency video streaming services, real-time interactivity, and other technology in its Microsoft Teams collaboration software. Microsoft said the features will ultimately create a better Teams product for companies and individuals.

To help its content creators make the transition to Facebook Gaming a bit easier, Microsoft published an FAQ page where it answers many of the questions they may have. Those generating revenue on Mixer, for instance, will be able to make money on their streams via Facebook Gaming’s Level Up Program. Microsoft also said that Mixer viewers who have Ember balances or subscriptions will get Xbox Gift Card credits for the amount on their balances.

“Thank you, Mixer community, for your engagement and passion on this journey,” Microsoft said in a statement. “We have accomplished so much together, and we want to thank you all — Partners, streamers, moderators, and viewers. And we hope to see your continued positive, welcoming, and inclusive ideals continue on at Facebook Gaming.”

Updated on June 22, 2020: Added more details on the Mixer move.

Don Reisinger
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Don Reisinger is a freelance technology, video game, and entertainment journalist. He has been writing about the world of…
The full video game console generation timeline
Nintendo NES Classic Edition

Video games are still a young medium in the grand scheme of things, but have been around for well over 50 years now. After the arcade boom in the 70s, home consoles slowly took over the gaming landscape with Nintendo's NES leading the charge. The NES is one of the best video game consoles of all time, but it was far from the first console and certainly not the last with the likes of the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2 currently fighting for market dominance. Currently, we're in the ninth generation of consoles but how exactly did we get here, and what consoles were in the eight prior generations? Let's rewind time and look at what defined every console generation from the first up to today.

If you want to look even further ahead, we can also tell you about every upcoming video game console and upcoming video game.

Read more
Most difficult secret endings in video games to get
V rides a motorcycle while shooting at a mech in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.

Your ultimate reward for overcoming all the challenges and tribulations of a game is the final cutscene. The best games of all-time all have amazing endings that leave you with a strong impression one way or another, or perhaps set itself up for an eventual sequel. But for almost as long as games have had actual endings, there have been secret endings. From the best NES games to the best PS5 games, more and more titles have hidden away extra content that players could unlock if they put in a little extra effort. Typically, this means meeting specific requirements like collecting every item, doing every task, or a combination of the two. They're not usually easy, but some games take that to a ridiculous level. These games have hidden endings so hard to get, you're better off just watching them on YouTube.

Final Fantasy X-2

Read more
Best video game controllers of all-time, ranked
A Super Nintendo Controller on a purple and black background.

It doesn't matter if you're playing the best game of all-time or one of the worst if you're holding a terrible controller. These are our gateway into the world of gaming, and depending on how they are designed can completely change how we look at a console. The best NES games wouldn't have taken off if it weren't for its controller, and we've only been iterating on them since then. Graphics are important, but the best consoles of all-time wouldn't have succeeded without a great controller. Let's go back through the ages and pick out the best controllers we've ever held.
Atari 2600

We have to hand it to Atari for keeping it simple but functional early on. A lot of competing consoles around now tried to get crazy with controllers, adding things like number pads and spinning dials. This joystick and button is about as limited as you can get for a controller but is more than enough for the type of games that were coming out at the time. It served as a great starting point to build off of.
NES controller

Read more