Why creators see Twitch’s monetization and moderation updates as the latest salvo in the livestreaming wars

Twitch is expanding its monetization and moderation tools, and creators see the move as an attempt to regain ground lost to competitors such as Kick and YouTube.

In an open letter penned by Twitch CEO Dan Clancy on Feb. 27, the company revealed a slew of updates for 2025, including the opening up of monetization features such as subscriptions and Bits (a virtual currency that users can purchase from Twitch and donate to creators) to streamers of all sizes, as well as the expansion of the platform’s moderation functions.

Previously, Twitch creators could only enable subscriptions and Bits by joining the platform’s affiliate program, whose guidelines require users to stream for at least eight hours on seven different days and average at least three viewers per stream to qualify. Now, users will be able to turn on subscriptions and Bits from the moment they create their Twitch account, although other monetization features, such as Twitch’s advertising revenue share, remain available only to Twitch partners or affiliates.

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