M Alzamora 
Streamers are on the lookout for the effects of a Twitch adpocalypse, though some fail to see it materializing.
Twitch has been under fire in recent months for a number of issues, from controversial content made by individual creators to its handling of real-world conflicts. However, it seems that there may be financial consequences coming in the form of what some are dubbing an “adpocalypse.” Many users on and off the platform are now asking what the Twitch adpocalypse actually is, as well as questioning its legitimacy.
What is the Twitch adpocalypse?
The Twitch adpocalypse is a presumed migration of sponsors away from Twitch following a string of controversies for the platform.
Throughout November, some Twitch streamers have reported a dramatic loss in ad revenue. Speculation has been that this is due to large advertisers pulling away from the platform due to a series of notable bans after commenting on major geopolitical issues and other incidents that garnered major attention. Notable names like Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt and Morgan “Frogan” have even been banned over political controversy, though neither ban lasted long.
A Twitch adpocalypse could be devastating for creators who rely on the site as their main source of income. With some reporting losses as high as 95%, companies leaving the platform could cut the earning potential of streamers in the long term. And if others follow suit, Twitch’s overall ad revenue could drop off too.
This isn’t the first time a major video platform has seen advertisers decide to pull their content. YouTube has seen several adpocalypses, beginning in 2016. Advertisers remove their ads from the site for various reasons, ranging from negative public feedback to creators making problematic content. These troubles and YouTube’s automated solution resulted in many unrelated streamers taking a major hit to their income.
Is the Twitch adpocalypse real?
There have been mixed reports from streamers and journalists about whether the adpocalypse is actually happening.
Esports journalist Richard Lewis reported that 11 major companies or agencies pulled their ads from Twitch due to “alleged antisemitism.” Chevron is one of the known corporations, though the other entities are unknown. Lewis’ sources state that some advertisers were unhappy with the response from Twitch and CEO Dan Clancy.
Others, however, insist that no Twitch adpocalypse is actually occurring or that its impact is overstated. Well-known streamer Jason “Pirate Software” Hall insisted on X that ad revenue has always been limited for political and adult content. He adds that removing video tags brings back advertisements. Twitch and Kick creator Felix “xQc” Lengyel echoed this in a recent Twitch stream.
To try and appease sponsors, Twitch has added a tag for political and sensitive issues and banned certain words. Whether this will bring back major advertisers or fix revenue issues for streamers is unknown. Hopefully, the vast majority of accounts will be able to weather any potential Twitch adpocalypse.
