Twitch wants collabs, but some streamers prefer to be left alone

Knock, knock!

Who’s there?

It’s a Twitch streamer who wants to collaborate with you — if you’re up for it. The Amazon-owned hub has announced a new Knock button, which lets users propose collabs with other active streamers.

Twitch CEO Dan Clancy announced the Knock option with a blog post that detailed his own collaborative efforts. Clancy described the humble collab as a mechanism creators see as”critical to their success,” and he characterized the Knock button as a shortcut that can take the hassle out of planning those team-ups.

The Knock button is part of a feature officially known as Drop Ins, which has been added to the Stream Together menu. “This feature is designed to make it easier for people to just ‘drop in’ on each other while they are streaming,” Clancy wrote.

Enabling the feature is simple. Users who scroll through their Followed Streamers list will see the Knock icon next to the names of creators who are potentially available for collabs. Drop Ins can also be requested from specific streamers’ channel pages. If a Knock is answered, the two streamers will be joined together on screen. Integrations with common streaming programs like OBS can also be enabled.

Drop Ins aim to simplify the collaborative process on Twitch, but they also reflect the community-driven nature of the streaming community. Kai Cenat often welcomes impromptu guests on his record-breaking broadcasts. Those unofficial drop-ins — who range from Cenat’s mother to his buddies in creator group AMP — give his stream a casual, amiable feel that lets viewers feel like they’re part of the fun.

The Knock button encourages more guest appearances of that type while also (potentially) fueling some of Twitch’s rivalries. Streamers like KSI and iShowSpeed have created opportunities and viewership for themselves through manufactured drama that makes Twitch feel like a pro wrestling circuit. How many views would they get if they turned their Knocks on each other’s streams into clips?

As useful as Drop Ins could be, the feature has high potential for abuse and has received a cool reaction from many streamers. VTuber Shylilly described the Knock button as “unwanted,” and other creators wondered whether Drop Ins will be used to harass streamers. That’s what happened with Twitch’s Raid feature, which was used for infamous “hate raids” that targeted Black and female streamers.

In this instance, Twitch has put some safeguards in to protect Drop Ins from abuse. Viewers cannot Knock on other channels, and streamers can change their preferences if they want to limit the types of users who can Knock on their doors. If you want to make it so that streamers have to follow you before they Drop In, you can.

Will Drop Ins provide boosts for smaller streamers, or will bad actors find a way to employ the Knock button as a means of trolling? Some creators may ingore the feature entirely, but if you’re eager for a Drop In, you can always give Twitch’s CEO a Knock.