Only a day after announcing his Twitch comeback, Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek is holding his first stream on the platform since signing his Mixer exclusivity deal last year. WhileShroud’s decision was already a big win for Twitchfollowing a series of controversies, the streamer’s return has also drawn in a massive number of viewers to boot.
Like several ex-Mixer personalities, Shroud opted to end hisMixer exclusivity deal rather than continue on Facebook Gaming.After weeks of uncertainty, Shroud announced his decision to return to his old stomping grounds. Following this initial announcement on social media, Twitch chimed in with a confirmation that it had signed Shroud to a new exclusivity deal.
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However, fans expecting a high-spectacle return toTwitchmight be disappointed. Shroud’s first stream back was a lowkey affair where he playedValorant.While the streamer did attempt to play a new opening video featuring highlight clips and new graphics, audio issues silenced the video. Although he started an hour late on top of these technical issues, the streamer managed to bring in 500,000 viewers and a wave of 13,000 new Twitch subscriptions. While Shroud warned that this first stream would be business as usual, hundreds of thousands of viewers still stuck around.
Although these initial viewing figures are encouraging, time will tell whether Shroud will be able to sustain this success. After all, Ninja previously brought a sizable amount of his following to Mixer, but struggled to maintain that viewer base as time went on. However, it is important to note that Shroud started on Twitch, and returning to hisestablished fanbase of 7.1 million followersmight bring in both new fans and dormant Twitch followers who stopped watching after the move to Mixer.
For now, however, it appears that Shroud and Twitch’s new partnership was the correct choice for both parties. While the streaming industry is still in the midst of intense competition, Twitch’s latest acquisition also appears to call Facebook Gaming’s staying power into question. Although Mixer’s agreement allowed its former streamers to move over to the platform,even Microsoft-affiliated communities like the Xbox Ambassadorshave declined to migrate over to the platform.
However, the streaming wars are far from over.While YouTube is currently hosting Dr. Disrespect’s new streams,Shroud’s ex-Mixer compatriot Ninja has largely stayed silent about his next steps. As streamers continue to come into higher demand, hopefully this competition allows creators more lucrative opportunities and bargaining power for their work.
