New Twitch drops system allows viewers and streamers to bag exclusive rewards

Of late, the TOS of streaming platforms such as YouTube and Twitch have come under close scrutiny. While Twitch has traditionally been said to have strict TOS, YouTube seems to be going down the same path. This is in light of some recent bans and terminations that YouTube have implemented, including Leafy's much talked about termination from the platform.

Regardless, there are certain positives that have come out of this. We have recently seen quite a few games enlisting Twitch streamers to generate support for their games.

Riot Games’ Valorant allowed viewers to gain access to beta keys in exchange for watching some enlisted streamers. Furthermore, Twitch has implemented a new drops system which allows developers to have a say in handing out certain in-game rewards.

Image via TalkEsport

New Twitch drops system

The new drops system works by allowing game developers to embed certain unlockable rewards that are linked to Twitch’s API. This means that a streamer can complete certain game levels in order to unlock rewards not just for himself but for his viewers as well.

There are different ways through which this can be done. Game developers can embed these rewards in certain levels or activate it when the streamer kills a boss or completes a certain challenge. Furthermore, the rewards can also be time-based, which means that users will have to log in within a given time limit in order to access the rewards.

Image via Twitch.tv

The new system includes the following features:

1. It offers per channel drop prompts.

2. Viewers can now claim the drop rewards on Twitch.

3. Account connection is only required after the reward has been claimed.

4. Players can get more details on drop campaigns, including associated requirements and reward details.

The current drops system is rather random, and viewers sometimes do not have a sense of ‘how close’ they are to acquiring rewards. The new system is more engaging and allows viewers to unlock smaller rewards before getting a new one. In this way, the system becomes more engaging by letting the streamer ‘play’ for his viewers. In addition, the number of rewards has also increased.

The system appears to be a win-win for all the parties, including the streamers, viewers and game developers, who are incentivised to add more Twitch-specific rewards to their games.