Twitch is cracking down on Drops farming.
Since 2017, Twitch has partnered with various video game developers to offer in-game rewards (often exclusive in-game rewards) called Drops in exchange for Twitch viewership. So, for example, Apex Legends might offer Twitch viewers an exclusive skin if they watch five hours of livestreamed Apex content over a certain period of time.
Specific streamers are often tapped for these campaigns, which means Drops are a viable way for streamers to potentially broaden their viewer base: the campaign brings in people who might not have watched those particular streamers before, but are doing so now because they want the in-game rewards.
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Basically, it can be a good thing for growth if people earn Drops from your channel.
But, because of that, there have apparently been attempts to game the system.
Twitch recently put out a PSA warning streamers that Drops “are meant to be earned during live gameplay with your community—not through streaming unrelated content like static images, rebroadcasts of past VODs/footage, or other scenarios where you are not interacting with your community.”
So, creators who aren’t actively streaming fresh broadcasts during Drops periods might face stiffer penalties moving forward.
Let’s try this again… abusing Drops campaigns isn’t allowed on Twitch!
Drops rewards are meant to be earned during live gameplay with your community – not through streaming unrelated content like static images, rebroadcasts of past VODs/footage, or other scenarios where you… pic.twitter.com/y3V6lizmhj
— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) January 18, 2024
For viewers worried about whether they might be breaking the rules–don’t be. Twitch clarified that viewers will not be penalized if the streamer they’re watching breaks this policy during a livestream. And, of course, it’s totally fine to watch streamers’ past VODs on your own time; VODs only become rule-breaking when streamers broadcast them instead of new content during Drops periods.
These clarifications are part of Twitch’s spams and scams policy, which has been updated to better define what “Drops farming” means for streamers and their viewers.
