Pirate Software’s latest Hype Train record may have been set with $500,000+ of fan support

Twitch is putting Pirate Software‘s latest Hype Train record in the digital history books with a permanent emote.

For those who don’t know, Hype Trains kick off on Twitch when viewers of a stream start mass-supporting the streamer by doing things like subscribing or gifting subscriptions and sending Bits. Viewers who start a Hype Train or keep one going can earn exclusive reward emotes.

Pirate Software (aka Jason Thor Hall, who’s also Game Director at the indie development studio of the same name) previously set the bar for longest Hype Train in December 2023, wrapping it up with a total of 7,321 subscriptions and over 1.8 million Bits–or around $60,000 worth of support.

Now, just a week after Twitch introduced new, higher goals to the Hype Train system, he’s demolished his own record: His latest train raked in 54,380 subs and more than 8.2 million Bits in three hours.

How much was that in dollars? Reporter Zach Bussey has theorized that a Level 100 Hype Train would take roughly $500,000 of subs and Bits.

Hall’s Hype Train reached Level 106, meaning it’s very likely his fans propelled him to victory by contributing over half a million dollars.

“I cannot express my gratitude enough and there are no words to thank you for what you’ve done here,” Hall tweeted. “I grew up on the internet when everyone had a silly website for their cat. It was a place of absurdity and pure creativity good or bad. The wild west. Now we’re locked into the megacities of social media platforms and so many of you are afraid to break out and MAKE something for fear of rejection, ridicule, or hate. Don’t be afraid. Go make things.”

Twitch followed up by introducing the new “DidIBreakIt” emote featuring Hall in the banana costume he wore during the stream.

“This is rad as hell and absolutely not expected,” Hall tweeted after the emote’s reveal.

Everyone who participated in Hall’s Hype Train will get the banana-mote, and any streamer who matches or beats his record in the future will earn it for themselves and their viewers, too.