New games are often compared by the number of active players or the revenue they generate, but livestreaming is a completely different ballgame. Sometimes AAA-titles can end up being a huge flop, while some indie games become cultural phenomena, even if they don’t bring in any money for their creators. So, what makes some titles shine in livestreaming while others fall flat? The team at Streams Charts took a closer look at the statistics and identified several core reasons.
Extraordinary ideas or gameplay
A new game doesn’t always need stunning graphics, a compelling storyline, a massive ad campaign, or a recognizable franchise to gain popularity on livestreaming platforms. Sometimes, it just happens naturally: one streamer notices a new game, other streamers follow suit, and within a week, the game’s popularity goes viral across the platform. This can even happen with the most unexpected games. Who would have guessed that Supermarket Simulator would peak at over 100,000 viewers and grab the attention of top Twitch streamers like Case ‘’CaseOh’’ Baker, Raul ‘’Auronplay’’ Alvarez or Ironmouse?
So what makes these games so appealing? A major factor is cooperative gameplay — if a game allows streamers to team up, the graphics and storyline often become secondary. Cooperative indie games are a big trend in livestreaming right now because they promote interaction between streamers. And where there’s interaction, there’s plenty of joking, trolling, emotions, and relationship drama, all of which are a huge hit with viewers.
Cooperative survival horror games like R.E.P.O. and Lethal Company, along with drug-dealing simulators like Schedule I, are currently blowing up on Twitch. These titles may not be AAA games, but they offer streamers plenty of opportunities for interaction and emotional moments.
One standout is Chained Together, which became a massive hit in the summer of 2024. Hundreds of top streamers teamed up to tackle the obstacle course and make it to the finish line. American streamers Darren ‘’IShowSpeed’’ Watkins Jr and Kai Cenat even organized a special online marathon, vowing not to end the stream until they finished the game. In both the game and real life, they were literally chained together, so one wrong move by any participant could derail the whole mission. It’s hard to imagine how many nerves they burned through during the stream, but viewers were captivated by every mishap. The marathon lasted more than 11 hours and reached a peak of over 200,000 concurrent viewers on each streamer's channel.
Sometimes, even the most ridiculous ideas can turn into hits, and the rankings of the most popular games in livestreaming prove this. Viewers love to see an emotional response from the streamer — whether it’s nervousness, excitement, frustration, surprise, or fear. Streamers, too, enjoy these games because they give them the chance to express their emotions, showcase their acting skills, engage with their audience, and make their streams more memorable and entertaining.
Consistent Content Updates
Staying in the livestreaming spotlight is no easy feat — even for the most popular games. Viewer counts typically spike during the first few days after launch, then gradually taper off. To reignite interest, developers often rely on big in-game events, major updates, or DLC drops to bring back both players and streamers.
Fortnite is a textbook example of how to keep the hype alive. Epic Games’ battle royale leads the pack when it comes to collaborations and live events, hosting virtual concerts from stars like Eminem, Juice WRLD, Travis Scott, and Snoop Dogg. It’s even been used to promote blockbuster films, from Christopher Nolan’s Tenet to new Star Wars releases. These high-profile moments consistently draw crowds of streamers and spike Fortnite's viewership across streaming platforms. Even the Fortnite developers have stated that the game functions as an independent platform for promoting other projects and brands within the gaming industry. This kind of unconventional advertising often grabs the attention of media outlets, even those that aren't directly tied to gaming.
Fortnite saw its biggest surge in streaming popularity in November 2023, when Epic Games introduced Fortnite OG — a special mode that brought back the original map, classic locations, and old-school weapons. The wave of nostalgia hit hard, drawing back even longtime lapsed players and streamers. On launch day alone, more than 44.7 million players worldwide jumped into the mode, and peak concurrent player count skyrocketed from the usual 1.5–2 million to 6.1 million. The excitement carried over to streaming platforms as well: Fortnite shot to the top of Twitch’s most-watched list, with watch hours in the category increasing by a staggering 360%. At its peak, over 146,000 Twitch channels were streaming Fortnite OG simultaneously, pulling in more than 3 million concurrent viewers. To this day, those numbers remain the highest the game has seen since its original debut.
The team behind Call of Duty: Warzone also struck gold with a nostalgic move. With the launch of Season 3, the game reintroduced Verdansk — the iconic map that won over fans five years ago. This time, it came with updated textures, richer vegetation, improved lighting, enhanced building visuals, and a few reworked locations. The response was immediate. Players and streamers alike rushed to go live and revisit the legendary battleground. Average viewership of Warzone on Twitch surged by 240%, while peak concurrent viewership skyrocketed nearly 400%. YouTube Live and Kick saw noticeable growth as well, despite having fewer Warzone streamers overall.
Major updates like these aren’t exclusive to multiplayer battle royales like Fortnite and Warzone. Take Shadow of the Erdtree, for example — an expansion that breathed new life into the critically acclaimed Elden Ring. Many in the gaming press treated it as a full-fledged sequel, and the developers themselves called it the largest DLC in the studio’s history. During its launch month, Elden Ring's average Twitch viewership skyrocketed from 36.7K to 127.7K — a 3.5x increase. Peak concurrent viewers doubled to 657,000, and the number of active streaming channels surged tenfold.
In the ever-evolving world of livestreaming, staying relevant is a constant challenge. But as we've seen with games like Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Elden Ring, clever strategies — whether through nostalgic revivals, big collaborations, or expansive DLC drops — can reignite passion and keep the hype alive long after the initial launch. For developers, it’s a reminder: keeping your audience engaged isn’t just about what’s in the game, but how you keep the conversation alive in the wider world.
Promo Campaigns with Streamers
These days, nearly every major game launch comes with a full-scale promotional campaign — complete with ad banners, limited-edition console bundles, and high-profile brand or celebrity collaborations. And naturally, a big chunk of that marketing budget goes straight into livestreaming platforms.
Game developers frequently partner with popular streamers and content creators to promote new games through livestreams. For instance, renowned American streamer Zack ‘’Zackrawrr’’ Hoyt (aka Asmongold) reviews nearly every major game release, and his game streams regularly peak at 50,000 – 70,000 concurrent viewers. It's hard to find a more versatile gamer on Twitch who’s constantly jumping from game to game.
Zackrawrr (aka Asmongold) is on of the most popular streamers on Twitch
All these game publishers' collaborations with top streamers can be either paid or unpaid. In many cases, streamers themselves benefit from such partnerships: they gain early access to highly anticipated games, allowing them to offer their viewers exclusive content before anyone else. When it comes to the financial side of things, it's hard to pinpoint exact numbers. According to The Wall Street Journal, some top streamers earn around $50,000 for just one hour of streaming a promoted game, though these amounts can be much higher. Much depends on the length of the collaboration and the level of engagement from the streamer.
Sometimes, popular streamers don’t just play games on stream — they become a part of the game itself. For example, during the development of Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED brought in several high-profile content creators, streamers, gaming bloggers, and journalists. Figures like Cohn Carnage, Alanah Pearce, and Jesse Cox provided their likenesses and voices to in-game characters and NPCs, while other internet celebrities were featured on advertising billboards in the streets of Night City. In essence, these personalities became an integral part of the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, which generated significant buzz among viewers and fellow creators alike.
Inviting celebrities can also serve as an effective marketing tool for new games. For example, during the release of EA Sports College Football 25, the publisher hosted a special streaming marathon featuring professional athletes and stand-up comedians. NBA superstar LeBron James even joined the stream to play EA Sports College Football 25, adding extra star power to the event.
When it comes to simpler promotional methods, developers often use Twitch Drops to boost a game’s visibility through livestreaming. Viewers on the platform can earn in-game items, bonuses, and consumables by watching several hours of streams from partnered streamers.
This marketing tool is now used for both new games and already released titles. For instance, the Twitch Drops event is held regularly in Escape from Tarkov during the New Year's event. Each time, this in-game item giveaway helps Tarkov land in the top 10 most-watched games on Twitch. It also benefits up-and-coming streamers, making it easier for them to attract new viewers to their channels with such promotions.
Today, Twitch Drops giveaways during the release of new games are almost a must-have marketing tool. Essentially, developers are offering players a taste of the game before they even purchase it. It’s like walking into a bakery, inhaling the smell of fresh bread — your mouth starts watering, and you end up devouring half the baguette before you even make it home.
External Factors and Seasonality
At times, a game’s rise in popularity on livestreaming platforms can be driven by external factors, rather than the game itself. A prime example of this is the COVID-19 pandemic, which impacted every aspect of daily life, including the gaming industry.
During the widespread quarantine brought on by the pandemic, there was a surge in demand for casual cooperative games that allowed people to communicate and interact with others. This period became a golden age for entertainment titles like Fall Guys and Among Us — the peak of their popularity in livestreaming coincided with the summer and fall of 2020, when most people were in self-isolation. The accessibility of both games on all platforms, their low price, high replayability, and simple gameplay were major factors that contributed to their success.
External factors also include seasonality — certain games or entire genres tend to gain popularity at specific times of the year. A straightforward example of this is Halloween, when many streamers gravitate toward playing horror games on their streams. Similarly, on Valentine’s Day, dating simulators see a surge in popularity. There are also less obvious examples, such as streams tied to important dates in geek culture. For instance, May 4th is celebrated as the unofficial "Star Wars Day," a significant event for fans of George Lucas’s iconic sci-fi saga.
While predicting the next pandemic is likely not feasible, developers can schedule a game release to coincide with a specific date or season. This external factor can play a key role in boosting the game's promotion, both within livestreaming and outside of it.
