Twitch disables paid boost feature after users get banned content on front page

Twitch has already decided to put a pause on its new ‘boosting’ feature after it was exploited, with some users utilizing the tool to get rule-breaking content up on the site’s front page.

In October 2021, Twitch trialed an experimental feature called ‘Boost This Stream’ that allowed streamers to “boost” their streams by paying extra to have it pop up in people’s recommendations on the front page.

It wasn’t well-received by the community, though. Some of the biggest streamers spoke out against it, including xQc, who claimed it was the “worst idea” he’d ever seen in his life. It was removed shortly after.

In March 2022, Twitch trialed another experimental feature called Boost Train. It allowed the viewers of a random group of small streamers to turn a Hype Train into a Boost Train, which worked to a similar effect.

However, it has already been disabled after one of the random streamers selected to participate in the experiment used it to promote banned content on the front page.

Twitch streamer ‘TheNoosh22’ was shocked to see a thumbnail of an exposed chest in the promotion section of their front page, along with an indication that it was a paid promotion.

“Hey Twitch, that ‘Pay for Promo’ thing you introduced just put this on my front page in my recommended,” they said with an accompanying picture.

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“I’ve been on Twitch since JTV and have been a partner for 10 years. I’ve never had this happen on my front page, and it’s there because Twitch got paid to put it there. It is the feature’s fault.”

However, the image didn’t actually belong to the host of that stream. It was a picture of a model taken over a year ago. She made the claim on Twitter and in a Reddit thread about the incident and posted proof.

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The real culprit behind the stream has reportedly been banned, which is supported by the fact that their channel can no longer be found on the platform.

Twitch pauses paid boost feature after front page debacle

Hours after the front page kerfuffle occurred, Twitch has reportedly put a stop to the Boost Train experimental feature for the time being.

According to reports from PC Gamer, a Twitch representative claimed they are pushing pause on boosts due to “safety-related issues that came up during testing.”

No further comment was given, leaving Twitch users anxious to see what comes of this latest development, which comes just after the site revealed it is halting service on its desktop app in the near future.