Disguised Toast Claims More Twitch Streamers Are Jumping Ship

For a while, Twitch was really the only game in town when it came to streaming. And though some competitors like Mixer — which even had Microsoft backing — have since come along in recent years, very few of them have remained long enough to challenge Twitch's ever-growing monopoly on the streaming market. However, in recent years, it seems the tide is beginning to turn, especially YouTube has steadily been squeezing its way into the space. And according to popular Twitch streamer and OfflineTV member Disguised Toast, YouTube will continue to sway major talent to its side in the near future.

In recent months, YouTube has begun to look better and better for popular Twitch streamers who are itching for a change in scenery. Streamers with massive followings — including Benjamin "DrLupo" Lupo, Tim "TimTheTatman" Betar, and even Ludwig Ahgren have all departed from the Amazon-owned platform in favor of YouTube, oftentimes in search of better money and stronger contracts. And given the recent uproar around alleged changes being made to Twitch's partnership program which could permanently impact streamers' earnings on the platform, not to mention Sykkuno's now-confirmed jump to YouTube, the threat of seeing more popular personalities jumping ship looms larger than ever before. Disguised Toast confirmed as much in a recent stream, claiming to have the inside scoop on who will be leaving Twitch for YouTube.

While discussing Sykkuno's jump to YouTube during his May 2 stream, Disguised Toast dropped a bombshell on his viewers: A handful of big-time Twitch streamers might be abandoning the platform for greener pastures in the near future. 

"I know of, at least, 5 more people going over [to YouTube]," Disguised Toast told his viewers. Disguised Toast would not disclose who these five (or more) streamers might be, but did confirm that YouTube had courted his services during the same time period in which the brand was also negotiating its contracts with Sykkuno and Ludwig. "I did not know about their decision [to join YouTube] when I made my decision. And sometimes, I wonder if I would've made a different decision. I don't think I would. It's hard." Toast notably left Twitch back in 2019 in favor of joining Facebook Gaming, but would later move back to Twitch toward the end of 2021.

If this claim of a huge push from YouTube, is in fact true, then it looks like YouTube Gaming is in it for the long haul — and is serious about competing with Twitch by any means necessary.