Video game live streaming is exploding, making it an exciting time to be in the video game industry. According to Statistica, 8.8 billion hours of video game live streams were watched worldwide in the first quarter of 2021. That’s up from only 4.9 billion in 2020. Check it out in graph form here, and you will see how impressive these numbers are.
As Statistica notes, “The world of video gaming has evolved from a single-player experience to a social occasion where players can meet to play games together and watch others play online.” In fact, some game streamers are so popular that they have MILLIONS of followers who watch them play and eat up their game recommendations too. That’s the lure of influencer marketing and why all video game creators should include game streamers as part of their marketing strategy.
This article will talk a little about why video game streamers matter to video game promotions and share the top ten game streamers on Twitch as of May 2022.
Why Video Game Streamers Matter
By partnering with video game streamers, you can generate more buzz about your video game and make more sales. It’s all part of influencer marketing, which we discussed in this article.
Game streamers are incredible assets when you are marketing your video game for several reasons, including:
- Connections: Game streamers have created deep relationships with their followers. The vast amount of time followers spend streaming content from their favorite creators demonstrates that the connection is much stronger than influencers on other social media platforms.
- Trust: Because of the connection between game streamers and their audience, those followers are more likely to trust their recommendations. Research indicates that 66 percent of consumers are likely to trust recommendations from a friend, family member, or influencer on a social platform. Meanwhile, only 38 percent trust recommendations from a brand on social media.
- Sales: Connection and trust mean more potential sales for your new video game. As it turns out, influencers are driving the conversation AND the sales. According to research, 82 percent of consumers have purchased, researched, or considered purchasing a product or service after seeing friends, family, or influencers post about it.
The thing about influencer marketing is that it doesn’t feel like marketing at all to the audience receiving the message. Game streamers deliver game demos and recommendations in a personal, live format that feels more like interacting with a close friend than watching an ad. Working with them is highly effective and an excellent strategy for generating more buzz and sales for your video game.
Top 10 Video Game Streamers on Twitch
The game streamers listed below are what we would call mega influencers. Each has several million followers and a unique way of streaming and engaging with fans that their community loves. If you’re looking for smaller and more niche game streamers, check out our article here.
This list of top 10 game streamers was generated in May 2022.
1. Ninja – Richard Belvins – 17.5 Million Twitch Followers
Ninja rose to stardom with the meteoric rise of Fortnite when he streamed with rapper Drake. After Microsoft closed Mixer in 2020, Ninja returned to Twitch and quickly became the most popular streamer on the platform.
2. Auronplay – Raúl Álvarez – 12.2 Million Twitch Followers 
Raul is a strictly Spanish-speaking streamer who rose to prominence in 2020 with his GTAV Spanish Role-Play streams.
3. Rubius – Rubén Doblas Gundersen – 11.5 Million Twitch Followers
The rise of Hispanic streamers has boomed in recent years, and Ruben has built his community off the back of GTAV and Fortnite streams.
4. Tfue – Turner Tenney – 10.8 Million Twitch Followers
Tfue rose to Twitch prominence after Ninja’s exodus from Mixer, with viewers flocking to Tfue for their Fortnite streams on Twitch.
5. xQcOW – Felix Lengvel – 10.2 Million Twitch Followers
Felix is one of Twitch’s most popular GTAV streamers, whether in GTA Role Play or mini-games.
6. Shroud – Micheal Grzesiek – 10 Million Twitch Followers
An extremely popular variety streamer on Twitch, Shroud is mostly known for his expert skills at shooters, but he also made the jump from Call of Duty over to Fortnite.
7. TheGrefg – David Canovas – 9.8 Million Twitch Followers
A pattern of successful streamers attaching themselves to Fortnite saw a huge increase in VOD views and live viewers, and David is no different. David’s popularity is so strong that Epic added him as a purchasable character in Fortnite.
8. Ibai – Ibai Llanos – 9.7 Million Twitch Followers
Ibai has seen his success increase since streaming League of Legends and now is an instrumental force in the European Esports scene.
9. Pokimane – Imane Anys – 9 Million Twitch Followers
Imane is an immensely popular variety streamer on Twitch. From League of Legends to Fortnite to Valorant to streaming with political figures in Among Us, Pokimane’s audience follows her to whichever game she streams.
10. Myth – Ali Kabbani – 7.5 Million Twitch Followers
Ali made his start with the Epic Games MOBA Paragon. Now you can watch him play Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Valorant.
Expand Your Reach with Video Game Streamers
Reaching out to game streamers on Twitch and other platforms can help you expand the reach and audience of your video games and ultimately result in more sales. But if you’re just getting started with influencer marketing, there is a lot to learn. Specialists like UberStrategist can help you activate your streamer program quickly and effectively. We talk to these game streamers (and many, many more!) regularly and can help you find the right streamers to promote your game. Want to get started today? Contact us here.
