Twitch is laying off more than 500 employees, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy announced this morning, reportedly accounting for around 35 percent of its staff. Bloomberg first reported that the streaming platform was planning layoffs on Tuesday, and the company confirmed today that the cuts were happening.
I regret having to share that we are taking the painful step to reduce our headcount by just over 500 people across Twitch,” Clancy wrote. “This will be a very hard day.
In the announcement, Clancy noted that the company paid out over $1 billion to streamers last year, remarking that “while the Twitch business remains strong, for some time now, the organization has been sized based upon where we optimistically expect our business to be in 3 or more years, not where we’re at today.”
As always, the laid-off staff members have been taking to social media to express their sadness at their sudden unemployment.
Well, it’s been real serving you, Twitch community 💜
Being laid-off from your dream job is heartbreaking. My heart goes out to every talented and passionate person impacted today. I'm so proud of the work I've done in my 3.5yrs, alongside the best teams I have ever worked with. pic.twitter.com/Gfs2NhfL0z
— Amy Potter-Jarman 🌺 (@hellomisspotter) January 11, 2024
For example, notable Just Chatting streamer Amouranth recently released her income from all of her setups, citing streaming revenue of $30 million between Jan 2020 and Jan 2024, shared between subscriptions and tips.
Twitch has also been in the news lately over the relaxation and then walk back, over sexual content involving streamers who created a new meta involving suggestive nudity. The walkback has done nothing around streamers pushing the boundaries when it comes to sexually suggestive content on the streaming platform.
The Outerhaven wishes all affected former employees the best of luck in gaining new employment as soon as possible during this difficult time.
