Sykkuno has made a shock return to Twitch, raising numerous questions regarding his future on YouTube and whether this comeback is permanent.
Twitch and YouTube were long engaged in a race to acquire as much talent as they could on an exclusive basis. Twitch effectively tapped out on that once Mixer closed its doors in 2020, but YouTube kept locking down big names to lucrative exclusive contracts. Sykkuno was one of those late additions to the party, signing an exclusive contract with YouTube in April 2022.
While it wasn’t known for certain at the time, it’s clear now that the contract was a two-year deal. That’s because, two years removed from the move to YouTube, Sykkuno is now back on Twitch.
Sykkuno is back on Twitch
Sykkuno returned to Twich on May 5, 2024 for a surprise stream.
The news came on suddenly, with the streamer only revealing his return shortly before it happened. This wasn’t just for the fans either, as Sykkuno stated that he kept the comeback quiet even among his friends.
His return stream was a lengthy, eight-hour affair. After discussing Twitch, YouTube, and the differences between the two, he jumped into a lengthy session of co-op Elden Ring that included epic boss battles against Starscourge Radahn and the Fire Giant.
From there, he jumped over to Valorant. After a few games alongside fellow streamers including Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter, he signed off for the night.
Reappearing on Twitch was welcome news for Sykkuno fans. Though he maintains a large following on YouTube, variety streaming doesn’t work well with YouTube’s algorithm. This has seen his streams move at a slower pace than they were at Twitch, despite his following remaining large.
Is Sykkunno done with YouTube for a permanent move back to Twitch?
It’s unknown if Sykkuno’s move to Twitch is permanent and if he is completely done with streaming on YouTube.
Sykkuno stated that his exclusive deal with YouTube is done, but did not provide any definite details regarding his future. YouTube is now following in Twitch’s footsteps by tightening its pursestrings and offering fewer big-money contracts. This means it’s less likely that Sykkuno will renew with YouTube, at least not with another exclusive deal.
Twitch has made a series of changes to its monetization policy with streamers. While users are faced with more ads, streamers have benefitted from Twitch’s simulcasting ban being lightened.
There’s a strong chance that Sykkuno broadcasts his Twitch streams across multiple platforms while maintaining his normal output on YouTube. Either way, it’s clear that there are big changes in store for the streamer.
