xQc defends Twitch after reported “exodus” leaves streamers worried
Twitch: xQcFelix ‘xQc’ Lengyel defended Twitch after a reported employee “exodus” left streamers worried, claiming the alleged focus on monetization isn’t an issue unless it ruins the user experience.
On March 3, Bloomberg dropped a bombshell report revealing more than 300 employees left Twitch in 2021 due to concerns the company is “losing touch” with its roots by focusing more on monetization strategies.
The report has worried streamers of all sizes, including xQc.
The French-Canadian star admitted the employee “exodus” is concerning. However, he doesn’t think focusing on monetization is necessarily an issue, especially when it’s an “inevitable” part of the platform’s growth.
Wikimedia Commons“I’m going to be honest, I feel like the exodus could be a big problem,” he admitted.
However, he doesn’t think employees’ claims the company has shifted to find new ways to make money from streamers is an issue.
“I feel like that strategy can go on top of old strategies without hurting the main formula for success. I’m not wrong about this. Monetizing some features and adding more monetized features doesn’t take away from the main experience of the website.
“If you degrade and erode the main experience that people have because of these tools, then yeah, it makes sense, but if not, then no. The thing is, though, things are bound to change with an increase in size. It’s almost inevitable.”
xQc also believes that in some instances, “increasing in size and maintaining old ways will be the downfall.” For that reason, he doesn’t think it’s a problem – unless it significantly impacts the viewer experience.
However, Twitch’s former Head of Creator Development, Marcus ‘djWHEAT’ Graham, claims there are more concerns beneath the surface. He believes the company has a “huge empathy problem” towards creators.
Either way, the reported number of employees who have left the company in the past two years has left streamers and former executives worried.