Twitch Introduces New Subscription Tiers, Features

[toc]Earlier this week, a post from the gaming portal NeoGAF revealed an email sent by Twitch to its partners, suggesting the introduction of two new subscriber options.

Then, it was officially confirmed by Twitch in a blog post. In addition to the existing $4.99 subscription, $9.99 and $24.99 plans have been unveiled and will be introduced very soon, first as a beta option and live in the weeks after that.

Updates and emoticons galore

During the next few months, Twitch will be implementing an array of new perks following this revamp. The new subscription options are coming with an updated emote system, which were previously at only 14 levels. They will increase to 50, making chat even livelier than before.

The newly introduced sub options will make significant strides toward reaching these additional goals. The $9.99 sub is worth two counts, and the $24.99 is worth a whopping six subscriber counts. Once a new tier is reached, the slots become locked, removing the previously punishing system of dropping tiers on subscriber fluctuation — but only after the beta phase.

Here’s how the blog post explained the new system:

“When the beta launches, the emote slots you gain will start to be yours permanently. However, you will not be able to switch your emotes freely if you fall under the required active sub count right away.

We’ll be adding this feature once the new subscriptions come out of beta, and will carry over the peak emote slot count you reached starting from the beta.”

Higher-tier subscribers will also receive a custom message upon subscription as well as new roles according to the subscription bought (if the partner is offering them). Twitch says it wants to provide partners with more choices and subscribers with the option to introduce their favorite channels to friends.

“As we build this program, our goal is to provide partnered streamers with a better way to earn a steady income and to give viewers more options to support streamers on Twitch.

This includes long-requested features like the ability for a user to gift a channel subscription to another non-subbed user, which will be coming to Twitch later this year. We’re already working on it, and expect to start testing this within the next few months.”

Full-time streaming careers on Twitch

This facelift will undoubtedly be well-received by the community, where streamers have become our daily companions. With perks like these, this beta should be brimming with willing participants and could launch live even sooner than expected.

“Initially, these new subscriptions will only be available on Partnered channels who opt into the beta,” the post explained. “This will be a rolling beta with new channels added weekly. If you are a Partner, please check your email for opt-in info.”

The Amazon-owned service is now adding features to its site at an almost monthly basis. This comes at a time when more streaming platforms are emerging, and the competition for streaming content is rapidly increasing.

For that reason, exploring new options for partners to create content and make a full-time job out of their streaming is a welcome approach. It could help solidify Twitch’s position as the number one esports streaming platform.