A copy of the email sent to Partners detailing changes to Twitch subscriptions.
An email sent out to Twitch partners late Monday detailing forthcoming changes to the streaming platform is being met by mixed reactions tonight from viewers and streamers alike. According to a copy of the confidential email which was posted to Reddit Monday evening, Twitch will be making changes to the channel subscription system, including the addition of $9.99 USD per month and $24.99 USD per month subscription tiers as part of their “constant push to improve [partners’] experience and help make it easier to earn a steady income on Twitch.”
The changes to the subscription system will also include changes to subscriber emotes, including permanently unlocking emote slots once you reach a certain number of subscribers, and more emote slot unlock tiers (50 instead of the current 14). Subscriptions at the new the new tiers will count as two or six base subscriptions respectively for partnership tiers emote slot unlocks. The email also touts that partners will be able to offer different benefits for the higher-tier subscriptions, including “coveted exclusive emotes for higher-priced subscriptions, which let fans show off their commitment to your channel.”
Reactions from both partners and viewers so far have been mixed. One user on Reddit called the change long overdue, citing a 2016 blog post from 3rd-party subscription service GameWisp that viewers subscribing through their service pay an average of $9 USD per month. Though not all reactions to the news have been positive, including many who are worried that the new tiers might lock content for current subscribers unless they upgrade to a higher-tier package.
According to the announcement new subscription tiers will be enabled for all partners in the near future, but partners may access the new subscription tiers sooner by opting in to a beta program.
Twitch has not commented on these changes at the time of publication. This article will be updated with comments from Twitch when they are made.
