Since the recent 2023 changes to twitches platform we have seen some of the most popular streamers from Amazon-owned Twitch move to other platforms. In 2019 famous streamer Ninja moved to a new streaming service called Mixer where popular media outlets claimed this was the new era of streaming and could be the downfall of popular services such as Twitch.tv. It has been four years since these claims, Ninja has since moved back to Twitch and Mixer has dissolved into Facebook Gaming (maybe now Meta Gaming?). There is constant speculation about Streaming services and their success as many have evolved over the years.
The current services in competition for streamers to remain on their platforms are Facebook, Twitch, Kick and Rumble. There are some streamers that have moved platforms due to being banned or being offered money to exclusively stream on their platform. This strategy was used recently by Kick when popular Twitch streamers were outraged about the new streaming policies being implemented on the platform. This coupled with Rumbles largest live stream on record, hosting Andrew Tate and Kick Streaming having a series of the largest sign up days since the inception of the platform. For a long time Twitch had a monopoly of the streaming scene but due to policy changes, weird rules being implemented for streamers to follow and less monetary incentives compared to other platforms, streamers are moving from Twitch to Kick.
Who are these top streamers? This list includes the 10 Twitch streamers who moved to Kick and are some of the biggest names online right now and are hauling a mass viewership from Twitches platform over to Kick.
Contents
10. Ice Poseidon
Ice Poseidon (real namePaul Denino), is a well-known internet personality and streamer. He gained popularity through his IRL (In Real Life) streams on Twitch, where he would often go out into the public and interact with strangers, commonly known for his deep voice and interesting adventures.
Ice Poseidon in 2017 was permanently banned from Twitch. The ban was a result of an incident where he was swatted on an airplane due to a false bomb threat. Swatting is a dangerous prank where someone makes a false report to the police, resulting in a SWAT team being dispatched to the target’s location. In Ice Poseidon’s case, someone watching his stream made a false bomb threat, claiming that Ice Poseidon had a bomb on the plane. This incident was highly publicized and led to his ban from Twitch, as it was determined that his tendency to stream his location in real-time contributed to the dangerous situation.
Additionally, Ice Poseidon has been controversial for various reasons. He has been criticized for some of the content on his streams such as Alleged Scripting, alleged Crypto Currency Scams, and “bad taste” pranks on IRL streams which some viewers and critics considered to be offensive or inappropriate.
After his ban on Twitch, Ice Poseidon explored different platforms for streaming and managed to make a comeback on Kick, where he has accrued more than 50,000 followers
9. Corinna Kopf (Corinaakopf)
Corinna Kopf, also known as Corinaakopf, is a popular internet personality and streamer and initially gained popularity on platforms like Instagram and YouTube before streaming on Twitch. Corinna was known for playing video games, engaging with her audience, and participating in Just Chatting sessions and gambling. Twitch has policies restricting gambling content, and these restrictions played a role in Corinna’s decision to move to Kick.
Kick, as a newer streaming platform, offered more lenient policies regarding gambling content. Corinna Kopf became the first female streamer to switch from Twitch to Kick, primarily due to Twitch’s restrictions on gambling content. Her switch was seen as notable because she was a well-known personality and her move indicated that Kick was becoming a viable alternative for streamers who felt constrained by Twitch’s policies.
On Kick, Corinna continued with her gambling streams and played games such as
Corinna Kopf, known for her gambling streams, has played various games such as Sweet Bonanza, Blackjack, The Dog House, Wanted Dead or a Wild, Lightning Roulette, and Dice Plinko. She managed to quickly build a following on the platform, amassing more than 80,000 followers. Her success on Kick is indicative of the platform’s growing appeal to streamers looking for more flexibility in the content they produce.
Additionally, Corinna Kopf’s move to Kick represents a trend where established content creators are looking for alternatives to traditional platforms.
8. Hikaru Nakamura (Hikaru):
Hikaru Nakamura (commonly known as Hikaru or GMHikaru) is a renowned chess Grandmaster and a popular streamer. Hikaru was born in Japan and raised in the United States. Hikaru is one of the top chess players in the world and has been a prominent figure in the chess community for many years where he has won the U.S. Chess Championship multiple times and being ranked as one of the top blitz (fast-paced) chess players globally.
In addition to his chess career, Hikaru gained a significant following as a Twitch streamer, where he began streaming chess in 2018. His Twitch streams typically involve him playing chess against other grandmasters. The chess community is relatively popular and collaboration with other well known streamers often occurs where Hikaru has the upper hand. He has also been known for playing against viewers and fans, often giving them odds to make the games more competitive.
Hikaru has been instrumental in popularizing chess on Twitch, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when online chess saw a surge in popularity. His engaging personality and high-level chess analysis have made him a favorite among both avid chess fans and newcomers to the game.
In March 2023, it was announced that Hikaru would be joining Kick, a new streaming platform. He has since been streaming on both Twitch and Kick. While the specific reasons for his move to Kick have not been publicly disclosed, joining Kick is often seen as an opportunity for streamers to diversify their platforms and possibly gain better contractual terms or freedoms compared to their previous platforms. At the time of his move, Hikaru had over 1.8 million followers on Twitch. Hikaru has amassed 49,000 follows on Kick so far.
7. Roshtein
Roshtein is another popular online streamer known for his gambling streams. He’s been particularly popular for playing slot games and is known for placing high bets, which adds an element of excitement and risk to his streams. When Twitch banned gambling, most of these streamers started streaming on Kick as an alternative platform.
Prior to his switch to Kick, Roshtein was streaming on Twitch, where he amassed a significant following. However, he moved to Kick after he was banned on Twitch. The specifics of his ban have not been widely disclosed, but Twitch has been known to enforce strict policies regarding gambling content, which could have been a factor.
Roshtein’s popularity skyrocketed after he collaborated with the famous rapper Drake. With over 116,000 followers and counting on Kick, he is one of the most followed streamers on the platform. His streams typically involve engaging with his audience, reacting to wins and losses, and discussing various gambling strategies and games. He is particularly known for his charismatic and flamboyant personality, which adds entertainment value to his streams.
It’s important to note that, as with any content centered around gambling, there are discussions and concerns about the responsible portrayal of gambling and the potential consequences for viewers who may be influenced by such content. This is especially relevant considering the high stakes that Roshtein often plays with on his streams.
6. Destiny
Destiny, whose real name is Steven Kenneth Bonnell II, is a well-known streamer and political commentator. Initially, he gained popularity as a StarCraft II player. His early content primarily focused on gaming, but over time he shifted towards political discussions, debates, and commentary on current events.
Destiny is known for his candid and sometimes confrontational style of debate. He often engages with individuals from various political spectrums and is not afraid to challenge or criticize views that he disagrees with. His content has been praised by some for being thought-provoking and unfiltered, but criticized by others for being polarizing or abrasive.
Destiny is the type of streamer where you agree with his intellect one day and completely disagree the next but if any ‘normie’ was to debate Destiny and almost any subject they would lose.
In March 2022, Destiny was permanently banned from Twitch. The specific reasons for his ban have not been widely disclosed, but it’s worth noting that Twitch has community guidelines that include policies on hate speech and harassment, and Destiny’s content often involved heated debates and discussions.
After his ban from Twitch, Destiny decided to make the switch to YouTube for a year. In March 2023, he signed with Kick and rumble, both new streaming platforms. Destiny’s move to Kick could be seen as a search for a platform that offers him more freedom to express his views without the stringent moderation policies that larger platforms like Twitch have in place. These platforms have agreed to be non-exclusive which means Destiny’s content is spread through Kick, Youtube and Rumble.
Destiny continues to produce content centered around political discussions, reactions, and drama. His content remains influential among his audience, and his move to Kick is part of a larger trend of content creators looking for alternative platforms to Twitch
5. Ac7ionman
Ac7ionman, is a streamer known for his gaming content and significant following on Twitch, with almost 700,000 followers before making the move to Kick in February 2023.
While the specific details of his content have not been widely reported, he is known to be part of the gaming community and has been particularly vocal about his positive experiences since moving to Kick. As someone who has faced financial difficulties, Ac7ionman has spoken fondly of his experience on the new platform.
In 2023 Ac7ionman’s streams are mostly in the “Just Chatting” section of Kick where he spends lots of time with female models where he is sometimes shirtless and the models in revealing outfits. These streams are sexually geared and sometimes occur in pools or other environments.
While Ac7ionman continues to stream on both Twitch and Kick, he has been shifting more and more towards Kick, which could indicate favorable conditions or opportunities on the new platform that align with his goals and content creation style where Twitch would typically ban users for the type of content produced.
4. Trainwreckstv
Trainwreckstv, whose real name is Tyler Niknam, is a popular streamer and content creator known for his high-energy streams, podcasts, and gaming content. He first gained popularity on Twitch, where he hosted the “Scuffed Podcast,” which featured discussions on gaming, pop culture, and current events with various guests from the streaming and gaming communities. Trainwreckstv is also known for his gaming streams, particularly in World of Warcraft and other multiplayer online games.
In addition to being a streamer, Trainwreckstv has played a pivotal role in the development of Kick, a new streaming platform. He was one of the first Twitch streamers to sign a deal with Kick, which is not surprising considering he is also a co-owner of the platform. In addition to his ownership stake, Trainwreckstv serves as an advisor and official spokesperson for Kick. His involvement in Kick is significant, as he has been actively helping the platform grow and attract other content creators.
Despite his involvement with Kick, Trainwreckstv continues to stream on Twitch. His dual presence on both platforms indicates a strategic approach to maximize audience reach and engagement. As a co-owner of Kick, Trainwreckstv likely sees the value in building a new platform that can offer different opportunities and freedoms compared to established platforms like Twitch.
Trainwreckstv’s move to Kick is emblematic of a broader trend where content creators are seeking alternatives to mainstream platforms. His involvement in the ownership and advisory aspects of Kick also signals an active interest in shaping the future of content creation and live streaming.
https://kick.com/trainwreckstv
3. Adin Ross
Adin Ross is known as a controversial streamer who, after facing a series of bans on Twitch, signed with the new streaming platform, Kick. The announcement was made through a minute-long YouTube video titled ‘The Decision’, where Ross took the hot seat and answered some questions. This sketch was a parody of the ESPN TV show The Decision, where NBA legend LeBron James had announced his signing with the Miami Heat in 2010. The comedy sketch ended with a caption stating his intention to stream on Kick. The video description further confirmed that Ross would be streaming on the new platform on a regular basis1.
He has also become an investor in Kick, playing an instrumental role in expanding the platform’s viewership. As of June 2023, he is one of the most followed streamers on Kick and one of the top creators.
The news of Ross’s switch has been gaining a lot of traction on social media. While many of his fans seemed happy about the move, the larger streaming community has expressed some critical views regarding the platform switch1.
The move to Kick comes after Ross faced backlash for streaming adult content on the platform. This incident led to many people labeling him a hypocrite, something he admitted to in an apology stream due to his previous comments about hot tub streamers. At the time of the move, Ross had over 7.3 million followers on Twitch, and it is still uncertain whether he will be able to achieve the same level of success on the new platform1.
Adin has come under fire for his change in attitude after befriending controversial figure Andrew Tate. Both Andrew and Adin have appeared on streams together multiple times where Andrew makes fun of Adin in a friendly way. This relationship has pushed Adin to make positive changes in his life regarding his health.
2. Amouranth
Amouranth, whose real name is Kaitlyn Siragusa, is a well-known content creator and streamer who gained fame on online and has around 1.5 million followers on twitch alone. Amouranth is noted for her cosplaying, ASMR, and ‘hot tub’ streams which have been involved in several controversies leading to her being temporarily banned from for ‘sexually suggestive’ content.
Recently, Amouranth moved to Kick in June 2023, although the deal is non-exclusive this allows her to stream on both twitch and youtube and Kick. Amouranth has become one of the most high-profile stars there where her earnings are speculated across the internet but always remain in the millions or dollars a month. This stretches over her twitch career and Only Fans where she shares lewd and naked photos.
Amouranth came into controversy when she claimed her husband was abusive. She played messaged he left on her mobile phone where he was screaming. The internet blew up when this occurred but since, her streaming has continued and it is believed she is still with her partner. This relationship was kept a secret for a long time as she thought it may effect her viewership if people knew she had a long term partner.
1. xQc
Félix Lengyel, known by his online alias xQc, is a Canadian Twitch streamer and internet personality. He originally gained fame as a professional Overwatch player, and was part of the Dallas Fuel in the Overwatch League for a short period. However, xQc’s tenure in professional Overwatch was marred with controversies including suspensions for both in-game and out-of-game conduct.
xQc is one of the highest earning streamers in the world. In June 2023, xQc signed a non-exclusive contract with the streaming platform Kick for a reported $100 million for two years, marking one of the biggest contracts in streaming history. This earnings match than of basketball super star Lebron James over a two season period. The specifics of his earnings are not publicly available, but it is known that popular streamers make substantial income from a combination of subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, and ad revenue.
After departing from professional esports Overwatch, xQc transitioned into full-time streaming. His Twitch streams are characterized by high energy, fast-paced talking, and a variety of content including gaming, reactions, and commentary. His engaging and often chaotic style has garnered a massive following, making him one of the most watched streamers on Twitch for multiple years.
xQc has also faced a number of controversies as a streamer, being temporarily banned from Twitch on several occasions for various reasons including showing explicit content and stream sniping in a Fall Guys Twitch Rivals tournament.
Is Kick Better Than Twitch?
Only time will tell if the Kick streaming platform will remain popular for live streamers. The streaming industry is still new and creators on Kick seem to currently be flourishing. As newcomers to the streaming platform take advantage of the positive components of Kick such as the revenue share and less strict content rules, the reality is the average viewership of the platform is less than Twitch. Streamers on Kick currently or streamers moving to Kick shortly, have their work cut out for them.
Hopefully the streamers on this list increase the overall viewership of the platform so that Kick and Twitch continue to rival subscriber numbers and create competition in the current market. Other streamers have hinted they could take a contract with Kick, even among the most popular of streamers.
