xQc Frustrated by New Twitch Power-ups Feature After Fans Overwhelm Stream with Emote Spam

Twitch’s recent introduction of a new community feature called Power-ups has not been well-received by everyone, particularly popular streamer Felix “xQc” Lengyel. During a recent stream, xQc found himself overwhelmed by an onslaught of emote pop-ups, making his broadcast nearly unwatchable. The streamer, initially unaware of what was happening, had a less-than-favorable reaction once he discovered the source of the disruption.

Unwanted Surprises on Stream

During his broadcast, xQc’s viewers began to spam the newly launched Power-ups feature, filling his screen with emote pop-ups. Unbeknownst to him, this feature was flooding his stream, making it difficult for both him and his viewers to follow along. Confused and frustrated, xQc initially could not see what his viewers were experiencing.

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“Guys what is happening? Refresh what? Where chat, what happened? I don’t see a gosh darned thing,” xQc exclaimed, perplexed. It wasn’t until a viewer sent him a screenshot of his own stream that he realized the extent of the emote spam. His reaction was one of surprise and irritation: “What?!? How do you guys see it, I don’t see this.”

Taking Action

Once xQc restarted his page and saw the emote bombardment firsthand, his annoyance was evident. He immediately reached out to a mod for assistance and began exploring ways to mitigate the problem. “Oh st! What the f

k! What the fk is all of that? Yo, Pluto, what the fk is all that, bro? Check Discord? Dashboard, viewer reward points, and I need to remove that?”

Understanding Twitch Power-ups

The Power-ups feature, introduced on June 13, allows viewers to enhance their chat interactions using bits. These Power-ups include Message effects, Gigantify and emote, and an On-Screen Celebration feature, which lets viewers send emotes over the stream for all to see. The feature, intended to boost community engagement, can be customized by streamers who can set the cost of these interactions.

Power-ups are now available to all Affiliates and Partners across the globe! Viewers can now use Bits to unlock Message Effects, On-screen Celebration, and Gigantify an Emote on their favorite streams!

More Info 🧵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/iTN3fMVr83

— Twitch (@Twitch) June 13, 2024

xQc’s Frustration and Solution

As xQc was reacting to YouTube videos during his stream, his audience took advantage of the On-Screen Celebration feature, which had not been properly configured, leading to rampant emote spam. Realizing the issue, xQc consulted with his mod team and quickly adjusted the bit cost to curtail the misuse. However, he was displeased with the limitations on setting higher costs.

“Message effect or what, Power-ups? I’ll put that at what, maybe 100,000? Maximum, 10k? Are you kidding me? Dude, this is insane,” he vented, clearly exasperated. After increasing the cost to 10,000 bits, he hoped to regain control of his stream. “Everything is on 10K now, is it better? Oh my god! What the f**k is this man?” xQc’s frustration was palpable as he worked to restore normalcy to his broadcast.

Resolution and Moving Forward

The emote spam eventually subsided, allowing xQc to resume his normal streaming activities. The incident highlights the potential downsides of new features if not properly managed and configured. While Twitch’s Power-ups are designed to enhance viewer interaction, streamers like xQc will need to carefully monitor and adjust settings to prevent such disruptions in the future.

As Twitch continues to innovate with new features, streamers and their audiences will likely experience growing pains. xQc’s experience serves as a reminder of the importance of clear communication and control over interactive features to maintain the quality and enjoyment of live streams.

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