Highlights
- Twitch's most-watched streamer title has been taken by Kai Cenat in 2023, surpassing xQc's impressive three-year reign.
- Gaules and Ibai also achieved high rankings, generating millions of hours of watch time on Twitch.
- xQc's signing with rival streaming platform Kick.com may have contributed to his displacement, but his $100 million deal still garnered attention.
In an unexpected turn of events, Twitch, the prominent platform for digital content creators, has witnessed a notable shift in its hierarchy. Felix 'xQc' Lengyel, who held the title of Twitch's most-watched streamer for an impressive three-year period, has now been displaced from the coveted position.
The landscape of the streaming world is marked by constant flux, with top streamers frequently altering their standings. This ever-changing scenario underscores the competitive nature of the online streaming sphere, where the pursuit of dominance is a continual process. However, in the realm of Twitch's most-watched streamers, the Canadian streamer and former Overwatch professional xQc displayed remarkable persistence, maintaining his status as Twitch's most-watched streamer for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. Throughout 2021, xQc amassed an astonishing 261 million hours of watch time from his dedicated Twitch viewership. In 2022, xQc spent over 3.29 thousand hours on the air, during which he generated an impressive 227 million hours watched.
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However, the narrative took an unexpected turn in 2023 as xQc relinquished the top spot to the renowned streamer Kai Cenat. Kai Cenat achieved remarkable success throughout the year, breaking several Twitch records, including the title of Twitch's most subscribed streamer ever. According to SullyGnome, Kai Cenat generated a total of 115 million hours of watch time, surpassing xQc, who accumulated 97 million hours. Securing the second spot is Gaules, a professional Brazilian Twitch streamer known for live broadcasts of the first-person shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, generating a total of 110 million hours of watch time. The third spot goes to the Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos Garatea, better known as Ibai, who generated an impressive 104 million hours of watch time.
Twitch's Top 3 Most Watched Streamers for 2023:
- Kai Cenat
- Gaules
- Ibai
This undoubtedly marks a significant achievement for Kai Cenat, who also gained the most Twitch followers, with 4.9 million new fans joining his channel this year. For those who may not be aware, it was Kai Cenat's 30-day Twitch subathon called the "Mafiathon" that contributed significantly to his success. Launched on February 1st and concluding on March 2nd, the subathon was a massive hit, surpassing the subscriber counts of streaming giants Ninja and Ludwig, reaching over 300,000 subscribers at its peak.
As for xQc, a pivotal factor contributing to his displacement as the most-watched Twitch streamer may stem from his signing with Twitch's rival streaming platform, Kick.com. Presently, he dedicates a substantial portion of his streaming hours to Kick.com. Overall, although streaming star xQc lost the spot as the most-watched Twitch streamer, it is worth highlighting the financial magnitude of his $100 million Kick deal, which created a significant buzz in the streaming world.