The Twitch Moments We Lost Our Minds Over
From birthing global phenomena to pushing the limits of gaming, Twitch has given us some unforgettable moments. The platform, which popularized the live streaming format, changed the way we relate to our favorite gamers, breaking down the barrier between player and viewer. Records have been smashed, celebrities have made unexpected appearances, and clips have transcended Twitch, spilling over into social media, YouTube, and other corners of the internet. Here are 20 Twitch gaming moments that broke the internet.
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1. Twitch Plays Pokémon
Twitch Plays Pokémon was a crowd-sourced playthrough of Pokémon Red. It allowed players to input commands in the chat, resulting in a chaotic and hilarious gameplay that hundreds of thousands tuned into, working together to beat the game and set a world record.
2. Sykkuno's Debut
Sykkuno exploded onto the scene in 2019, instantly beloved for his shy on-screen presence. His initial stream had over 20,000 concurrent viewers. His speedy rise to fame was unprecedented.
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3. Drake & Ninja Play Fortnite
When Ninja invited Drake to play Fortnite on his Twitch channel, it drew a huge audience, setting a new record for the highest number of concurrent viewers at the time. With over 600,000 viewers at its peak, it nearly doubled the previous record.
4. 2012 League of Legends World Championship
The League of Legends World Championship of 2012 became the most-watched esports event ever, thanks to the Twitch live stream. Every year since, it has broken its own record, and almost every year, it's the most watched game on Twitch by number of hours.
5. Sajedene's Mid-Stream Break-In
One of the most shocking Twitch live stream moments ever saw user Sajedene being robbed at gunpoint while streaming DOTA 2. Users who witnessed the incident were able to contact someone who knew her address, leading to a swift intervention by police.
6. Summit1G Getting Swatted During a Pokémon Go Stream
While playing Pokémon GO in a park, Summit1G got swatted, meaning a viewer called the police on him as a prank. The police only held him for a few moments, letting them go after Summit1G explained what had just happened, but the incident went viral, and news stories were written about it.
7. Shroud's Return to Twitch
Shroud's return to Twitch after leaving the platform to join Microsoft's short-lived Mixer was a monumental moment that helped solidify Twitch as the leading live-streaming platform again. The highly anticipated event garnered nearly 500,000 active viewers.
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8. Dr Disrespect's E3 Bathroom Stream
Dr Disrespect is famous for his IRL live streams, his chaotic gameplay, and entertaining personality, but he took it a step too far in 2019 when he live-streamed from a public restroom with thousands tuning in, showing little regard for others' privacy. His Twitch account was suspended for two weeks.
9. The Rise of Among Us on Twitch
The popularity of Among Us was driven almost entirely by Twitch. During the Pandemic, high-profile streamers AdmiralBulldog, singing, and later, giants like PewDiePie and Pokimane started streaming Among Us content, and it quickly became a global phenomenon.
10. xQc Reacts
Hugely popular Twitch user xQc is renowned for his explosive and hilarious reaction videos. He broke his own Twitch record when he streamed a beta build of Overwatch 2, garnering over 300,000 active viewers.
11. When Summit1G Blew Himself Up
Easily, Summit1G's most infamous moment was when he blew himself up in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) with a Molotov cocktail in a crucial moment that cost his team the win but earned a lot of laughs. It became one of the most widely shared memes within the CS: GO community.
12. Grefg's Record-Breaking Fortnite Skin Reveal
Spanish Fortnite streamer Grefg broke viewership records when he revealed his Fortnite skin as part of the game's "Icon Series." The stream peaked at over 2.4 million concurrent viewers.
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13. HasanAbi's AOC Among Us Stream
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joined an Among Us Twitch live stream along with HasanAbi, a streamer and political commentator, to encourage young people to vote. The event garnered 435,000 concurrent viewers, one of the most-watched ever on an individual's channel.
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14. COVID-19 Twitch Explosion
Apparently, when people are stuck at home, they sit inside and watch video game live streams on Twitch, as we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twitch viewership increased by over 67 percent.
15. Ninja Rage-Quitting Fortnite
Ninja was once the most-followed Twitch streamer, so when he rage-quit Fortnite on a Friday tournament, everyone was shocked. The incident was due to a high ping that caused the game to lag, making it downright unplayable.
16. Ibai Llanos' La Velada del Año
Spanish streamer Ibai holds the record for the most concurrent viewers on a single Twitch channel for his La Velada del Año boxing event between YouTubers and influencers. The live stream garnered 3.85 million viewers at its peak and 6.7 million total concurrent viewers.
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17. The Ludwig Subathon
Ludwig's subathon was a month-long Twitch live stream hosted by streamer Ludwig Ahgren in 2021. The stream was extended by an extra ten seconds for every new subscriber. It was a massive hit, making Ludwig the most subscribed-to streamer on the platform.
18. Pokimane's 1 Million Follower Milestone
In a major moment in her streaming career as well as for female gaming streamers everywhere, Pokimane reached her 1 million follower milestone in 2018. She is now the most followed female streamer on Twitch, with an audience of over 9 million.
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19. Pokimane's Makeup-Free Stream
Pokimane boldly live-streamed makeup-free in 2018 to support another female streamer who faced criticism when she chose not to wear makeup on a live stream. The stream sparked a discussion about unrealistic beauty standards and the unequal pressure placed on female streamers to look a certain way.
20. Kai Cenat’s Record-Breaking Subathon
Kai Cenat broke records for subscriber count and viewership when he pulled off a 30-day, non-stop Mafiathon 2 live stream on Twitch. The stream featured celebrity guest appearances by the likes of Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, and Lizzo, and 20 percent of the proceeds went towards building a school in Nigeria.
