Twitch streamers outraged over “kick in the face” change that will delete content

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Twitch has unveiled a new rule, restricting the quantity of Video on Demand (VOD) content and highlights that individual channels can store – which has provoked considerable backlash from broadcasters.

On February 19, Twitch clarified that an update to their VOD (Video on Demand) storage policy would impact just a select few channels, among other modifications such as adjustments to the moderation system and enforcing bans.

Beginning April 19th, our platform will be imposing a storage limit of 100 hours for Highlights & Uploads. However, this change won’t affect Past Broadcasts (VODs) or clips.” This was announced on their X/Twitter support account.

“Less than 0.5% of streamers exceed 100hrs & this content accounts for >

Starting April 19th, we’ll be limiting storage for Highlights and Uploads to 100 hours. This change won’t impact previously broadcasted videos or clips. Only around 0.5% of streamers use more than 100 hours, making up a small part of the content on Twitch. – Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport), February 19, 2025

The article goes on to explain that starting from April 19th, any Twitch channel with over 100 hours of content will have their least-watched highlights removed first.

As a dedicated viewer, I’d recommend you go ahead and grab any highlight reels or video-on-demand content that tickles your fancy before it gets wiped out.

Nevertheless, while Twitch asserts that the upcoming changes will only affect fewer than 1% of channels, a notable amount of pushback has arisen from this announcement.

Streamer AuroraPeachy expressed intense frustration: “This isn’t merely an issue that impacts fewer than 0.5% of streamers; it’s a slap in the face to the most dedicated, energetic, and diligent broadcasters on your platform. It feels like our history with you is being wiped out.

I’m absolutely fuming! It’s not just that this change impacts fewer than 0.5% of streamers; it feels like a slap in the face to the dedicated, active, and hard-working streamers who have built a strong relationship with your platform. Unfortunately, it seems like you’re wiping out our shared history together. /s

— AuroraPeachy 🍑 (@AuroraPeachy) February 20, 2025

Speedrunning community ‘devasted’

Within the speedrunning community, there was a great deal of concern stirred up by this change, as members feared that videos showcasing longstanding records might be removed.

Bawkbasoup, a well-known speedrunner and Twitch partner, expressed his concern, stating that “This development is going to wipe out numerous world records and timing achievements within the speedrun community.

Speedrunning YouTuber Summoning Salt advised speedrunners to move their content to YouTube:

Friends who enjoy speedrunning, a friendly reminder: Please consider downloading and sharing your highlights on YouTube. We risk losing valuable speedrunning history if we don’t act soon.

Regardless of whether your gameplay is less than 100 hours, it’s best to proceed with caution and download it. For the moment, it requires 100 hours, but who can predict what might happen down the line?

A friendly reminder to all speedrunners: For the preservation of our speedrunning history, kindly download and share your highlights on YouTube. The rich heritage we have accumulated might be lost without immediate action. Even if your run is less than 100 hours long, it’s better to be safe and save your footage. What seems like a lot now may not seem so in the future.

— SummoningSalt (@summoningsalt) February 19, 2025

Some were curious about the potential actual reduction in costs if Twitch’s statement held true, suggesting that fewer than half a percent of their streamers might be impacted.

The user questioned, “Given that less than 0.5% of streamers surpass the 100-hour mark, what kind of cost reduction are you experiencing due to this policy?” They seemed to imply that managing and storing videos on a video streaming platform is likely one of your primary responsibilities.

A point of contention revolves around the short notice provided for the new rule to take place. Some believe that the two-month timeframe given for users to download all their content is insufficient. As a result, a petition has been initiated on Twitch’s user voice platform, calling for the implementation to be postponed.

Example: Twitch streamer Ph1LzA disclosed that they surpass the 100-hour threshold significantly, boasting more than 6,000 hours of accumulated highlights and VODs.

welp… there goes over 6k hours of memories on @Twitch 🙃

— Ph1LzA (@Ph1LzA) February 20, 2025

Currently, creators on Twitch have been given until April 19, 2025 to meet the new guidelines, which were announced just two months ago.

After the recent announcement from Twitch, as well as other updates to their ban system, there’s been a lot of buzz about Twitch on various social media platforms.

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2025-02-20 17:50