The streaming community is a powerful force on the internet, and X is ready to get in the game. The platform formerly known as Twitter has announced some big-name partners for its gaming affiliate program, including creators like Dream, Sapnap, MrSavage, and Hikaru Nakamura.
Details about X’s gamer program are still scant, but the platform intends to improve its live product based on the response it receives from its partner streamers. A tweet from the X Gaming account links to the program’s roster and reiterates its creator-forward mission. “Whatever feedback they have, we will build it,” reads the post.
The creators who will advise X Gaming control some of the most prominent content hubs on the internet. Dream and Sapnap’s Minecraft advenures have collected billions of views, while MrSavage is a regular on the professional Fortnite scene. A full list of X Gaming partners can be found here.
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The makeup of that list suggests that Elon Musk wants X Gaming to resemble the upstart streaming hub Kick. Some of the X Gaming partners, including chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, were among the first streamers to join Kick after its December 2022 launch.
Kick also facilitated growth by joining forces with controversial streamers like Adin Ross. Given Musk’s penchant for boosting “canceled” figures, it would be in character if he ripped that page out of Kick’s book. One potential partner of that ilk is the disgraced streamer DrDisrespect, who has gone live on X but isn’t yet named on the list of X Gaming partners.
Even if X Gaming limits itself to (relatively) buttoned-up streaming partners, its affiliate program will still have plenty of room for growth. Musk has promised substantial creator payouts since he took over at X, and though there have been some early returns in that area, the results haven’t always lived up to expectations.
Given the popularity of gaming content across the social video landscape, the X Gaming program is likely to increase the scope of the platform’s payouts. And on the business side of things, gaming content will be a welcome addition to X’s premium ad products. It all sounds like a pretty good deal — though we must reiterate that X still has to share precise monetization details if it wants to earn the trust of the gaming masses.
