Twitch is still the biggest name in video game streaming, but it just lost another one of its biggest stars. Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek announced that he will be moving exclusively to Microsoft’s Mixer platform, giving it another major reason for viewers to tune in.
In a Twitter video, Shroud announced that he’s “making moves” before his computer monitor displays the Mixer logo. It is a much lower-key video announcement than the one by Ninja, which featured a pseudo-press-conference with Ninja also playing several members of the audience.
Same shroud. New home.https://t.co/eZV2GBBSsY pic.twitter.com/AHaajkjees
— Michael Grzesiek (@shroud) October 24, 2019
The news comes just two days after Shroud’s previous livestream on Twitch. Less than a week ago, he was also still using his Twitch channel to promote a new look at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, but fans will have to ditch Twitch for Mixer in order to view any of his streamed content from now on.
The deal appears to only be for live content, as Shroud posted a YouTube video of his gameplay at the same time as his announcement went live. He typically uploads several of them each week, showing highlights in videos around 15 to 20 minutes in length.
Shroud is known for his time as a professional Counter-Strike: GO player, but he also plays a variety of other games on his channel. Most of them are shooters, including PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and the Call of Duty series. He’ll presumably be focusing on Modern Warfare in the near future.
Microsoft has continuously tried to position Mixer as a more user-friend alternative to Twitch, with better quality options, interactivity with viewers, and even the potential to win prizes. During press events such as E3, Microsoft will award special “MixPots, to those who signed in to Mixer using the Microsoft account they also use for Xbox Live. Free games and other digital goodies have been awarded, including Rare Replay and Outer Wilds.
Mixer will only have an easier time getting viewers to tune in if it continues to snatch up exclusivity rights for big names like Ninja and Shroud. Where it may have more of an issue is with esports competitions, which have almost always favored Twitch over rival services.
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