It can be incredibly difficult for many to establish a large following of viewers on Twitch. Even harder than that is the feat of garnering subscribers and followers who wish to see even more content from a streamer. There are, however, many streamers that have gained enough of a following to devote themselves to the platform and their viewers for a living.
With millions of people using Twitch to watch streamers, as well as stream content themselves, there is always a large possible audience for many. Some of the largest currently followed Twitch streamers in fact have followers in the millions, with plenty of subscribers as well.
The numbers are always changing and updating, but Social Blade has a tracker for the most followed streamers on Twitch. Many of these streamers are household names in the Twitch and streaming community in general, with many having brand deals, being involved in certain controversies, or just being generally quite popular.
xQcOW - 7,657,102 Followers
The fifth most followed Twitch streamer is xQcOW, also known as xQc. Previously a professional Overwatch player on the Overwatch League team, Dallas Fuel, he was released from the team and now streams on Twitch full-time. As of February 2021, he has 7,657,102 followers and 56,406 active subs.
Those outside the Overwatch community may recognize xQc from the numerous amount of controversies he has been involved in. This includes, but is not limited to; him making homophobic remarks about gay Houston Outlaws player Austin "Muma" Wilmot, stream sniping accusations within multiple games, and multiple incidents of explicit content during his Twitch streams.
Rubius - 8,326,978 Followers
Twitch's fourth most followed channel is Rubius, who is very popular in a variety of Spanish-speaking countries around the world. There may not be many English-speakers who recognize him compared to many other popular streamers, but he still boasts 8,326,978 followers and 14,118 active subs as of February 2021.
Rubius is also known as El Rubius and elrubiusOMG. He originally got his start on YouTube, where he also has the achievement of having the 36th most subscribed YouTube channel in the world. There he played games such as Skyrim which helped elevate his popularity.
Shroud - 9,003,164 Followers
The third most followed streamer on Twitch is Shroud, a former professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player. He maintains a very solid popularity through both his Twitch and Youtube channels, providing his viewers with plenty of gameplay footage and commentary. Shroud's Twitch channel has 9,003,164 followers and 6,691 active subs as of February 2021.
Fitting with his past as a professional CS:GO player, Shroud has streamed plenty of the esports shooter, but his channel features often features additional shooters and other titles as well. This includes games such as Player Unknown Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege.
Tfue - 10,036,786 Followers
One of the streamers that benefitted greatly from the popularity boom of Fornite was Tfue. His Fortnite streams helped his Twitch channel become the second most subscribed on the platform. As of February 2021, he has 10,036,786 followers and 12,072 active subs.
Like many popular streamers, Tfue has been involved with multiple widely-reported controversies. This includes multiple allegations of cheating, lawsuits, and the buying and selling of Epic Games accounts.
Ninja - 16,729,044 Followers
Finally, the most followed streamer on all of Twitch is Ninja, another streamer that greatly benefited from the popularity boom of Fortnite. His popularity has earned him money, fame, and connections to celebrities and industry professionals. As of February 2021, Ninja has 16,729,044 followers and 7,836 active subs.
Ninja was recently in an exclusive contract with the now failed streaming platform known as Mixer. With the closure of the platform however, Ninja has since returned to streaming on Twitch with games such as Fortnite, Player Unknown Battlegrounds, and Valorant.
Source: Social Blade