Skip to main content

Squad Stream brings the magic of couch co-op gaming to Twitch

Twitch Squad Stream
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Twitch‘s latest feature for creators aims to reimagine playing games with friends in the digital age. Squad Stream will let you and up to three friends easily go live on Twitch and stream in a single window.

Squad Stream is intended to make things much simpler for streaming cooperative and multiplayer experiences. Oftentimes, you’re watching one streamer during a match of, say, Apex Legends, but you’re not getting the complete picture of the squad. Squad Stream is designed to allow viewers to see every moment, just as if they were on the couch at home playing with their own friends.

Streamers can enter a squad from the dashboard. Squad Stream is inherently beneficial for viewers, as it lets them see up to four different viewpoints in a given game. But it’s also being pitched as a good way for creators to expand their reach and engage with audiences they don’t normally come across. Joining up with other creators to stream games they don’t typically play on their own channel will likely help to increase subscriber counts.

The most popular Twitch streams usually fall in the battle royale genre, but Squad Stream sounds like the perfect setup for other formats such as speedrunning and co-op experiences like A Way Out or Overcooked 2.

Twitch already has two neat options for collaboration but neither of them actively allow streamers to play together. Raids let streamers bounce to another channel, bringing their current audience members with them. Hosting allows streamers to broadcast another creator’s stream on their own page, introducing new content and creators to their viewers.

Squad Stream is available now for Twitch Partners. Viewers will be given the chance to opt-in to Squad Stream when you initiate it. It’s unclear when Twitch plans on rolling out the feature to all of its users.

Squad Stream sounds as if it will open up new opportunities for interesting and unique content. If you don’t watch creators on Twitch, you’re missing out on some truly amazing gaming moments. Twitch streamer The Happy Mob just recently completed a run through all five “Soulsbourne” games without getting hit a single time. From Software’s games are notoriously difficult, a trend that continues with its latest title, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Editors' Recommendations

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Twitch to reportedly lay off 35% of its workforce
Phone with Twitch mobile app.

Popular streaming service Twitch is about to lay off 35% of its workforce -- equal to about 500 workers -- according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday.

The Amazon-owned, video game-focused platform could announce the job losses as early as Wednesday, people familiar with the matter told the news outlet.

Read more
Xbox’s first stream of 2024 will include Bethesda’s Indiana Jones game
Harrison Ford holds a sword in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

Microsoft announced the first Xbox presentation of 2024 on Xbox Wire: another Developer_Direct meant to provide insight on upcoming first-party titles. Of the four games confirmed for the January 18 event so far, the most surprising of the bunch is the Indiana Jones title from MachineGames.

This Indiana Jones game was announced by MachineGames in January 2021, just prior to the completion of Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax Media. Bethesda Games Studios' Todd Howard is apparently a big fan of the Lucasfilm franchise and is working closely with the developers of the Wolfenstein reboot games to craft this new adventure. Bethesda has not stated much publicly about it since then, although its Xbox exclusivity came up during the FTC trial Microsoft was engaged in 2023.

Read more
The best co-op games on Xbox Series X
Jack Sparrow and pirate from Sea of Thieves.

The Xbox Series X is home to superb games we'll no doubt be talking about for years to come. The system features RPGs, shooters, puzzle games, survival games, and even competitive experiences that throw you against other players to be the last person standing. Better yet are the games you can enjoy with friends, either from the couch or online. Something about working together with a friend to defeat bosses or tackle objectives is widely appealing, making it easy to see why co-op games are so popular. The lineup of co-op games is constantly growing on Xbox Series X, but there are several you absolutely need to play.

These are the best co-op games on Xbox Series X.

Read more