Twitch is implementing a new feature called Hype Chat, which works very similarly to YouTube’s Super Chat. You’ll now be able to pin a message on top of a streamer’s chat as long as you’ve donated a specific amount of money.
According to a Twitch blog, we know that to use Hype Chat, you’ll need to donate at least $1, and it’ll have a maximum of $500, but streamers can set the minimum donation to $100. And the more money you’ve donated, the longer your message will stay above their chat. When this new feature launches, it’ll only be available to partners, but Twitch is “working on a plan to roll it out more broadly.” Thanks to The Verge, we also know that Hyper Chat is only usable via a web browser.
Twitch will offer a 70/30 split, meaning streamers could potentially walk away with even more money. This won’t affect other revenue streams Twitch has built in, such as subs, gifts, or bits. To help keep a stream safe, people watching won’t be able to send banned words that are included on the site and by the streamer. If a user who sent a Hype Chat message is timed out or banned, they will have their message “immediately removed from the queue,” and there’ll be an automod put in place to scan the messages before the purchase is complete. In addition to all the safety measures already implemented, streamers or mods can remove messages if they want to.
For more Twitch news, check out our story on how Twitch’s Partner Program will finally give streamers a 70/30 cut and how a streamer said the new Partner Program was already offered to top streamers.
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