It’s no surprise that Twitch is considered one of the most popular gaming streaming services that host a wide variety of talent both big and small, however, the site is also well known for having its most influential streamers leave to stream on other platforms. Most of them have signed exclusive deals to host themselves on services such as YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and even Mixer when the service was still active. Since Twitch saw its first move back in 2019, many of its talents have left the Amazon streaming site.

Given Twitch’s prevalence and the impact that it has had on video game fans as a whole, it can be surprising to see a streamer leave the platform. The service has played a big role in hosting various Fortnite Twitch streamer skin reveals along with different gaming tournaments for titles such as Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege. Multiple streamers have gained their following on these events and proved to be beneficial for not only them, but for the platform itself.

Related: Most Ridiculous Twitch Streamer Highlights Of 2020

With a bit of a streaming war going on between Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook Gaming, it can be beneficial for the Amazon service to do everything it can to keep its big league streamers around for as long as possible. With every influential streamer that leaves Twitch’s platform, their peers may also consider taking their talent elsewhere. In 2022 alone, the site has seen three of its big stars leave the service, and more may be following the pack since there’s already a hefty amount that has already made the switch.

Ali "Myth" Kabbani Recently Left Twitch For YouTube

Ali "Myth" Kabbani left Twitch after becoming a popular Fortnite streamer.

Back when Fortnite was taking over Twitch, Myth appeared on the scene going pro and at the time was signed with Team SoloMid “TSM”. He currently has 7.4 million followers and over 158 million views on Twitch and also has over 4.5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. Myth recently made the decision to stream exclusively on YouTube on July 11, 2022, leaving his Twitch career behind him.

Jack Dunlop, "CouRage JD," Joined YouTube For Stability

CouRage JD's YouTube streaming contract offered more stability than Twitch.

On November 5, 2019, CouRage JD announced his switch from streaming on Twitch to YouTube. His reasons for doing so, reported by Tracker Network, revolved around “having stability” and "the fear of being tied down just for a sub count button." He currently has 3.69 million subscribers and a total of 582 million views.

Tyler "Ninja" Blevins Left Twitch Before Later Returning

Ninja left Twitch for Mixer, but returned when the latter was shut down.

With over 14 million followers at the time of his departure, Ninja leaving Twitch for Mixer was a shock to many in 2019. Less than a week after he left, Ninja already had one million Mixer subscribers. However, during his time on the now defunct Microsoft service, he struggled to maintain the same amount of growth that he experienced on the Twitch.

Related: Twitch's Most Popular Games Aren't As Fun To Play As They Seem

Since the closing of Mixer, Ninja has returned to Twitch and signed an exclusive multi-year deal with the service. To expand his horizons as a content creator, Belvins is also partnering with Masterclass so he can teach a class on how to be a live streamer to those who are interested in the profession.

Rachell Hofstetter, "Valkyrae," Continues Her Success On YouTube

Valkyrae has continued to have major streaming success after switching to YouTube from Twitch.

After gaining popularity streaming on Twitch, partly through GTA RP, Valkyrae's move to YouTube was impactful as she was considered to be one of the more popular female content creators on Twitch. Since then, she has become one of the biggest gaming streamers overall on YouTube Gaming. Since her switch, she was awarded The Game Award for Content Creator of the Year in 2020 and the Adweek Creator Visionary Award for Gaming Creator of the Year in 2021.

Timothy John Betar, "TimTheTatMan," Now Streams On YouTube

TimTheTatMan left Twitch to bring his popular Warzone content to YouTube.

TimTheTatman was one of Twitch’s most influential streamers as he was one of the top 10 highest-paid content creators on the platform. Tim currently has 4.58 million subscribers on YouTube, primarily releasing Call of Duty Warzone videos. He livestreams a wide variety of games with other influencers such as NickMercs and Cloakzy.

Herschel Beahm IV, "Dr. Disrespect," Was Banned From Twitch

Dr. Disrespect was mysteriously banned from Twitch and moved to YouTube.

Dr. Disrespect’s departure always remained a mystery to his fans as he was banned from Twitch for reasons unknown. Recently Dr. Disrespect and Twitch resolved their issues, however, he still refuses to return to the streaming service. The former Amazon service streamer currently streams on YouTube with a total of 4.01 million subscribers.

Thomas "Sykkuno" Recently Went To YouTube Full Time

Sykkuno has recently made the switch from Twitch to YouTube.

Sykkuno built his popularity by playing games such as League of Legends and Valorant on Twitch and fairly recently decided to take his talents to YouTube. He has also collaborated with other streamers playing games such as Among Us and GTA Online RP.

Related: Twitch's Never-Ending Stream Is Proof There Should Be More Rules

Sykkuno made the announcement of his departure in May 2022. Although YouTube wasn't always his main platform, Sykkuno has been creating content for the service for over a decade.

Lily Ki, "LillyPichu," Is Well Known For Her Music

LillyPichu took her musical talents to YouTube.

Liked her for her personality while streaming, Lilly Pichu also gained a fanbase through her music. She has a ton of her songs posted on her YouTube channel and also won The Steamer Award for Best Music Streamer this year. Lilly leaves behind 2.5 million followers to stream on YouTube.

Benjamin "DrLupo" Lupo's Charitable Talents Left Twitch

DrLupo left Twitch for YouTube, taking his charitable talents with him.

DrLupo left Twitch For YouTube in August of 2021 after signing an exclusivity deal with Twitch back in 2019. Not only has Lupo shown that he is an amazing streamer, but he is also a loving person as he hosted a variety of charitable events on his platform, raising $600,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In 2019, he had also set a goal to raise at least $2 million for the hospital, but ended up raising $2.3 million instead.

Ludwig Anders Ahgren Left His Massive Twitch Popularity Behind

After multiple lucrative Twitch subathons, Ludwig has taken his talents to YouTube.

Ludwig has gained the most traction when it comes to Twitch streamers as he was also considered one of the highest-paid content creators from the site. He hosted multiple “subathons” - one subathon earned Ludwig $1.4 million on Twitch - and always took care of the community that he built. After his departure, Ludwig's success will likely continue as he has over 3 million subscribers on YouTube.

Lannan Neville Eacott, "LazarBeam," Creates Content For YouTube

LazarBeam switched from Twitch to YouTube to focus on content creation.

On January 13, 2020, LazarBeam decided to stream exclusively on YouTube while also focusing on content creation. His three YouTube channels combined have over 24 million subscribers and 8 billion views.

Related: What GTA RP YouTubers & Streamers Are Most Entertaining

To some fans, this switch wasn’t a surprise as LazarBeam has been closely associated with YouTube for some time now. LazarBeam has had a lot of recent success streaming Fortnite during events and with other streamers.

Elliott "Muselk" Watkins Followed Others To YouTube

Muselk left Twitch alongside Valkyrae and LazarBeam.

Following LazerBeam, Muselk left Twitch, signing with YouTube as well. Together the two hosted a 2-hour livestream to raise money for the ongoing Australian bushfire relief effort as a celebration event. They both raised 100,000 Australian dollars in their efforts.

Just because a streamer made the decision to switch platforms doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is set in stone. Examples of this have been shown in streamers such as Ninja, and many other content creators who have left Twitch and come back to the site. While everyone’s reason for coming back to the Amazon streaming service may be different from each other, they all have their own motives for making their return. Other notable streamers who have left Twitch include the following:

  • Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek
  • Cory "KingGothalion" Michael
  • Soleil "EwOk" Wheeler
  • Jeremy "Disguised Toast" Wang
  • Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios
  • Corinna Kopf
  • IShowSpeed (Banned)
  • JiDion (Banned)
  • Indiefoxx (Banned)

Twitch has a fair share of controversy, some prompting the #ADayOffTwitch streamer protest that affected views, and it may be a key factor in a good chunk of its top streamers jumping ship. While 2022 may be on its way out the door, there’s no telling who else might want to make a switch to a different streaming platform. If things keep going at this rate, Twitch might have some problems in the future.

Next: Why DrLupo And TimTheTatman Are Leaving Twitch

Sources: Tracker Network