TwitchCon San Diego is taking place this weekend, and as per usual, the platform announced some news during the opening ceremony. First, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said that the service will provide streamers and viewers who break the rules with a clearer explanation of why their accounts have been suspended.
Soon, Twitch will share excerpts of the chat that led to the suspension with the user in question via email and an appeals portal, eventually expanding to clips so streamers can see how their livestream or VOD may have violated the rules. “By providing this information, we hope streamers can review what they did, what policies they violated, and appeal if they feel our decision was wrong,” Twitch said in a blog post.
Twitch also recognizes that permanent account strikes can be problematic for longtime streamers, whose smallest mistakes could ultimately get them banned. That’s why Twitch is introducing a strike expiration policy starting in early 2025. “While minor strikes will no longer put a streamer’s livelihood at risk, we will continue to enforce our rules for more severe infractions,” Twitch said. “Plus, we’re providing more transparency by showing you exactly what led to a strike.”
On the broadcasting side, viewers of streamers using Twitch’s enhanced broadcasting feature will be able to watch streams in 2K starting early next year. The option will be available in select regions initially, with Twitch planning to expand to other regions over the course of 2025. Also of note, Clancy said they’re “working on 4K.”
Also coming in 2025 is the option to stream portrait and landscape video simultaneously with Enhanced Broadcast, aimed at providing the best experience for viewers depending on the device they’re using to watch the stream.
Twitch is planning several improvements to navigation for its overhauled mobile app, including one-swipe access to channels you follow and prioritizing audio from a picture-in-picture player. Streamers will have access to a feature called “Clip Carousel,” which highlights the best clips from their latest stream and makes them easy to share on desktop and mobile. The platform says it will also make it easier for viewers to create clips on their mobile devices.
Additionally, Twitch will introduce a shared chat option to its Stream Together feature next week, allowing up to six creators streaming together to merge their chat. Streamer moderators can manage all messages in shared chat and time out or ban anyone who crosses the line. Creators who participate in a Stream Together session can also turn off shared chat for their community.
Last but not least, Twitch is expanding its Unity Guild and Creator Clubs, both of which are designed to help streamers connect, learn from each other, and grow with the help of Twitch staff. Over the past year, Twitch has opened the Black Guild, Women’s Guild, Hispanic and Latin Guild, and also announced a Pride Guild for the LGBTQIA+ community. All four guilds will expand next year to include members from all over the world.
The Creator Club is new, introduced by Twitch last month for the DJ and IRL categories, where Twitch says engagement has been higher than expected. Four more Creator Clubs are coming soon for the Artist/Maker, Music, VTuber and Co-op/Coding categories.
