An anonymous Twitch streamer said to be among the "Top 5" on the platform is reportedly seriously considering leaving for Mixer, as they're discontent with supposed Twtich "penny-pinching." While this anonymous Twitch streamer currently have no immediate plans to leave Twitch, they'd consider the opportunity if they could close a deal with Mixer.
The information comes via the h3h3 vodcast, where host Ethan Klein reported the anonymous streamer's views. Klein says the streamer reached out to him following comments that he made regarding Twitch being unsustainable. Klein noted that it was a private conversation and didn't go into further detail.
Speculation regarding the state of Twitch among streamers, and now apparently discontent even at the platform's highest levels, has grown directly as a result of Ninja announcing his departure from Twitch this past week. Ninja, who was Twitch's most famous streamer, recently signed an exclusive contract with the Microsoft-owned livestreaming platform Mixer. While details about Ninja's contract are unconfirmed, it's speculated to be a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal.
Whether or not Mixer will be a better platform than Twitch with regards to pay or working conditions for streamers is unclear. Ninja was obviously provided a contract meeting all of his expectations, but Ninja is also the most popular streamers in world. Whether another streamer could garner such a contract, or if Mixer is even interested in pursuing other contracts, is unreliable. Whether viewers will shift from Twitch to Mixer and remain there is unreliable, too.
It's, unfortunately, necessary to note that Klein's comments on the matter are of dubious reliability. Klein and h3h3 used to stream on Twitch as well. When h3h3 decided to bring its podcast back to YouTube, the two companies went through a messy process involving backpay. Klein has been a particularly vocal critic of Twitch since, making it unclear whether his comments or his recreation of this Twitch streamer's comments have been exaggerated.
Exaggeration or not, there's no question that Ninja's move to Mixer has begun a new conversation between streamers about the best option for their future. Mixer's viewership is growing and early adopters will be rewarded, but Twitch remains the largest and most successful streaming platform on the internet. That isn't likely to change any time soon, either.
Source: H3 Podcast (NSFW)