Many gamers dream of turning their hobby into a profession by becoming a Twitch streamer or joining an esports team. However, jobs aren’t always fun just because they revolve around games, and burnout is a real problem for streamers and professional players. However, popular Twitch streamer Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys offers an example of how streamers can keep the pressure from getting too high and maintaining a consistent brand.
Pokimane revealed during a recent stream that she’s been getting many offers to leave OfflineTV in favor of larger gaming organizations. These include proposals from various esports teams. However, the Twitch streamer said she’s never been interested in their deals. On the surface, that might sound like she’s limiting her options. However, it speaks to an attitude that not only helped propel her to Internet stardom, but also goes a long way toward keeping her in the game.
Joining a Team May Hurt One's Brand
Pokimane discussed the offers after fellow Twitch steamer TinaKitten signed on with professional gaming team 100 Thieves. The esports org has been very active in recruiting, signing contracts with several popular streamers. However, while Pokimane said she’s happy for TinaKitten, she has no desire to join an esports team herself. The streamer says she received several offers from gaming organizations, and many of them date back to quite early in her career. Pokimane turned all of them down for some good reasons.
One is a desire to remain independent, not beholden to a large organization. Pokimane also has a brand to think about and explained that she doesn’t want it diluted by signing on with a big esports team. The streamer also expressed skepticism of the notion that it’s necessarily beneficial for successful content creators to sign on with larger organizations. Pokimane already has arouund 7,000 active subscribers on Twitch and 8.2 million followers, and it’s not clear how joining an esports team would help her career.
She’s also already a core member of one of the most successful groups on Twitch. In 2017, Pokimane co-founded OfflineTV with fellow Twitch streamer William ‘Scarra’ Li. While it may be a small group in numbers, it’s one with an enormous reach. Online publication Dexerto recently called OfflineTV “Twitch’s most popular friend group.” The six members have a combined 15 million followers on Twitch. Pokimane points out that signing on with another organization might undermine OfflineTV, something she doesn’t want.
More Freedom Means Less Burnout
There’s also the matter of burnout, which Pokimane has struggled with. A key aspect of avoiding burnout is not spreading oneself too thin, which could happen if Pokimane tied herself to a larger org. As she said during her stream, “If I devote myself to something, I want to do it one-hundred percent. I don’t want to be not fully in anything.” This mindset reduces the risk of burnout while helping maintain higher standards of quality content.
Burnout can still happen, of course, and this is another area where independence can have an advantage. In August, Pokimane announced she was taking a break from streaming, and cited burnout as the main reason. While Pokimane expressed gratitude to her fans, she also said she wasn’t having fun online anymore. This is not an unusual problem, as fellow streamer Dr. Disrespect considered taking a break a few months earlier. Others, including huge names like PewDiePie and Jacksepticeye, have at times considered quitting altogether. Common complaints include the constant pressure to perform and the repetitive nature of streaming.
The ability to take a step back when necessary is a big part of battling this kind of severe burnout. Pokimane has since returned from her hiatus and is streaming on Twitch once again. Having the freedom to take that break may well be part of the reason one of the platforms’ top female streamers isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and it's something others should keep in mind.
Source: Twitch