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Most Popular Games for Twitch Streamers

Twitch.tv is a live streaming platform specializing in video game live streams. From old favorites to modern classics, here are some of the most popular games for Twitch streamers today.

By Joseph D. N. KendrickPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
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Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

A relatively recent phenomenon has been a trend in talented video gamers streaming games on online platforms like Twitch. This allows their viewers—which can number in the hundreds of thousands, with top streamers garnering over a million subscribers—to watch them expertly navigate through any number of different single player and online multiplayer video games. Some streamers provide funny commentary, some provide advice and techniques for playing games, and many streamers simply play in relative silence, allowing their talent to speak for itself. With a few exceptions, the most popular games for Twitch streamers tend to center around online multiplayer gameplay, as the evolving strategies for competing against fellow humans provide a deeper well of rich discussion topics and entertaining gameplay than most single player games. Here are some of the most popular games streaming on Twitch right now.

One of the most popular streaming games this year, Fortnite is practically a cultural phenomenon. The Fortnite Battle Royale game mode currently has over 125 million players, largely thanks to the game's "free-to-play" status. Fortnite's developer, Epic Games, has certainly not lost money by making the game free to download: The company draws in hundreds of millions of dollars every month through microtransactions that award in-game items to players. An analysis of Fortnite is still limited, as it is such a new game that its true longevity remains to be seen, but it is presently the most viewed and most streamed game on Twitch—by a large margin!

World of Warcraft is one of the most iconic video game franchises of all time, with millions of subscribers every year. The original game was released way back in 2004, but thanks to a dedicated fanbase and a steady stream of high quality expansion packs and new campaign modes, the MMORPG has remained relevant and popular. With such an endless variety of content to explore, it's no surprise that World of Warcraft is such a popular game for veteran streamers as well as those who are just getting started streaming on their Twitch channel.

The Grand Theft Auto series is well-established for its entertaining environments, characters, and open-world mechanics. The most recent entry in the series, Grand Theft Auto V, is getting up there in years (it was released in 2013), but nonetheless remains one of the most popular games for Twitch streamers. Besides the immersive single player world, GTA V introduced an impressive online multiplayer mode, supporting up to thirty players at once in various co-op and head-to-head game modes.

Produced by Blizzard Entertainment, the same developers behind the legendary World of Warcraft games, Overwatch is a definitive first person shooter of the modern era. The smooth gameplay and unique personality of this game make it one of the best streaming games out there. Most game modes pit two teams of six players against each other in a relatively standard fashion. The real entertainment value of live streaming Overwatch on a Twitch channel comes from the characters themselves. There are more than twenty playable "heroes," each with their own unique personality, poses, and playing style.

Less than a year old at the time of this writing, PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds (commonly known as PUBG) is already one of the best selling games of all time, and there are plenty of reasons why PUBG is so popular. The primary method of gameplay takes its inspiration from the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale which, if you haven't seen it, is basically like a less kid-friendly version of The Hunger Games. Each round begins with up to 100 players parachuting onto an island, where they're forced to scavenge for equipment and weapons in a fight for survival. The rules are simple: The last player standing wins. The large scale action and simple, but creative concept make PlayerUnkown's Battlegrounds one of the most entertaining and enjoyable games for Twitch streamers and viewers alike.

One of the most classic and famous online first person shooters of all time, Counter-Strike remains one of the most popular games for Twitch streamers. Compared to modern games, the graphics of the original 1999 edition of Counter-Strike aren't exactly top-tier. The game has remained relevant, however, with upgrades to gameplay and graphics to keep up with the competition. The original team-based "terrorists vs counterterrorists" game mode has been massively expanded to include a variety of play options, with different settings and playable characters, making this classic game just as enjoyable today as it was almost 20 years ago.

Despite their relatively limited popularity compared to sports games and first person shooters, I think horror games are perfect for live streaming. Those of us who are too scared to really enjoy playing them on our own can instead live vicariously through a good Twitch stream of gameplay. Few horror games support online play, which makes Dead by Daylight even more impressive. This game's unique online multiplayer mode allows five people to play at once: four survivors and one savage killer. The killer's goal is to hunt down every last survivor before time runs out, while the four survivors have to stay alive at any cost. The game, procedurally, regenerates maps for every round and spawn points are randomized, meaning every round is fresh and entertaining for viewers and players alike.

One of the most unsuspected smash hits in modern gaming, Rocket League features a unique blend of sports and racing gameplay. In simplest terms, Rocket League is soccer with cars. While the concept itself sounds decently fun, the end result is so impressive and addictive that it's no wonder Rocket League remains one of the all-time most popular games for Twitch streamers, especially for those players looking to improve their gameplay. The physics-based arcade soccer game celebrated its third birthday in July 2018, but it remains fresh by releasing new free and paid DLC kits, offering new varieties of vehicle skins and upgrades.

The Call of Duty series has had quite an interesting history. What began as a trilogy of WWII-era first person shooters has turned into one of the most successful video game series in the world. In 2007, Call of Duty introduced its Modern Warfare line, which takes place in modern day. The third Call of Duty series, Black Ops, is unique in that it jumps around in various timelines. For example, the original Black Ops took place primarily during the Cold War. Call of Duty: Black Ops III takes place in 2065, allowing game developers to flex their sci-fi chops with futuristic weapons and maps. At three years old, Black Ops III is slowly declining in popularity, but still remains one of the most commonly streamed first person shooters on Twitch channels, as well as YouTube channels. The Black Ops line is likely to experience a new resurgence in popularity, however, with Black Ops IV set to release in October 2018.

The 19th yearly entry in EA Sports's highly successful Madden NFL franchise does not disappoint. As far as graphics and features are concerned, Madden NFL 19 doesn't offer any overwhelming improvements over the previous entries on the current generation of consoles for this series. After all, how much can you expect from a game that releases a sequel every year? One notable update is EA's new "Real Player Motion" animation technology, which offers a noticeable improvement over the animation in previous entries. Another relatively new feature in this game is the campaign mode, which continues the storyline that began in Madden NFL 18. When it comes to games for twitch streamers, however, multiplayer is still the real bread and butter.

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About the Creator

Joseph D. N. Kendrick

Writer of words. Haver of cats. joeykendrick.com

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