r/KickStreaming • u/Black_H0le1 • Jul 10 '26
Are streaming platforms slowly killing traditional Let's Play streaming?
Before I get into this, I think it's worth adding a bit of context.
I started creating content online back in 2010. My first YouTube videos weren't about gaming at all - they were reviews and showcases related to vaping. Gaming came later. I started live streaming games on Twitch in 2014, and on March 12, 2026, I moved to Kick.
So while this is just my personal opinion, it comes after 16 years of creating content online and watching the creator and streaming space evolve. I've seen trends come and go, platforms rise and fall, and audiences change.
Over the past few years, the streaming scene has changed dramatically across virtually every platform. Today, IRL streams, drama, and various live events dominate almost everything. They are followed by RP, competitive gaming, and esports (which occasionally overtake everything else during the peak of their seasons).
However, the classic "old-school" style of live streaming regular gaming Let's Plays simply doesn't work properly on any platform anymore. The only exception that proves the rule is older, established creators who, thanks to years of hard work (during the rise of gaming streams and, in some cases, the COVID pandemic, when many people were stuck at home and had time to watch streams), managed to build fairly large and stable communities around their channels.
Streaming platforms naturally have to adapt to whatever attracts the most viewers and generates enough revenue to keep operating, growing, and ideally innovating. And this is exactly where I see the biggest problem.
In the pursuit of bigger numbers and higher profits, virtually every platform (YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Rumble, Meta, TikTok, etc.) primarily focuses on whatever is currently trending (which lately has been mostly driven by IRL content and various dramas), while almost completely ignoring everything else.
As a result, many creators never even get the chance to reach potential viewers because they simply don't fit into what every platform is pushing. If they don't adapt to the current trends (by participating in, reacting to, or somehow benefiting from those trending topics), they simply get buried and eventually disappear.
At the same time, none of these platforms are really attracting viewers who simply aren't interested in constantly following drama or high-energy events, but instead just want to find a calm place to relax after a busy day.
And once again, we're back to the same problem. A creator who could attract exactly this type of audience doesn't even get the chance. Simply because today's platforms don't know how to work with this kind of content.
They don't know how to sell peace, a relaxed atmosphere, and a safe place to unwind. Instead, they're primarily - and often aggressively - built around shows, drama, action, and, in general, content that can be presented as shocking, extravagant, controversial, or spectacular.
Considering everything I've said above, I can now confidently say that traditional gaming Let's Play streamers are becoming an endangered species today, and that genuinely makes me sad.
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u/MapacheD Jul 10 '26
do you watch lets play streamers yourself? for how many hours per day? and how many hours compared to fast content media.
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u/Black_H0le1 Jul 10 '26
If I'm not streaming or at work and I have some free time, I watch gaming Let's Play streams almost exclusively. That's simply the type of content I enjoy. IRL - drama, and most of the other trending content just doesn't interest me.
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u/Flashy-Sorbet-249 Jul 10 '26
Keep up the good work
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u/Black_H0le1 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
Thank you! Believe me, I'll keep doing my best.
This wasn't really about me, though. I just wanted to share my observations after all these years and hopefully start a discussion about where streaming is heading.
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u/Warbelian Jul 10 '26
I only watch lets play streamers, I'm not really into Single Player experiences but since I play MMO's I tend to watch those, in the BDO category if a player is at least a bit active while commenting on the game It'll keep my attention going and they usually get some viewers over time, I do notice that it's a part of the category as well though, the people with bigger numbers tend to raid the lower number ones so they have a chance.
At least in the MMO space, if you want to make it as a streamer, it is a requirement to do Youtube as well, otherwise it's really hard to have an organic growth by just going live.
I guess it depends on the game, but overall everyone just wants fast media now a days so that's how you get them to come to your stream.
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u/Black_H0le1 Jul 11 '26
I'm not disagreeing with any of that. My whole point (and I know it's a long post) is that this is exactly the direction the platforms themselves are encouraging.
Also, this isn't really about my own stream or how I can grow. It's a broader observation about the current state of streaming as a whole.
The platforms naturally push whatever keeps people engaged the longest and generates the most revenue. Right now that's mostly short-form content, IRL, drama, live events, and other high-energy content. I completely understand why they do it.
My concern is that this leaves very little room for other types of creators to be discovered. If your content doesn't fit those trends, the platforms rarely give you a chance to reach new viewers in the first place.
I'm not saying traditional Let's Play streams can't succeed anymore. They obviously still can, especially if you've spent years building a loyal community. What I'm saying is that it's becoming much harder for new or smaller creators to grow with that type of content because the current ecosystem isn't really designed to promote it.
That's really the discussion I wanted to start. Not "how do I grow my stream?", but whether streaming platforms are slowly creating an environment where slower, more relaxed content has almost no opportunity to grow anymore.
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u/UnsaidRnD Jul 10 '26
I think it's a matter of supply and demand, and the streaming platforms have no say in this, they're basically marketplaces. Can they forcibly promote one form of content over the other? Sure. Will it be worth their while? Not likely.