Reddit may be the last social media platform you’d likely consider in promoting and advertising your livestreams, but the popular discussion website may help your channel grow beyond your initial expectations.

There is an untapped advertising potential on Reddit especially for small streamers. Although the platform is generally designed as an avenue for community discussions, you may also use this social platform to your advantage as a rising content creator.

If you’re interested to know some effective ways to advertise your brand on Reddit, but you’re not really sure how to go about it— we’ve got you covered. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Know your platform

First of all, you must keep in mind that every social media platform is different. It has its own varying strengths and weaknesses when it comes to doing self-promotions.

What works on YouTube, for instance, doesn’t exactly work on Reddit. The same goes for Twitch strategies on Twitter. You don’t need to pressure yourself too much, as it takes time to learn them all. Give yourself some time as you venture into Reddit promotions.

Join communities for self-promotion

Although quite rare, there are a few subreddit dedicated to aspiring livestreamers who may freely advertise their streams and channels. At the same time, it serves as an avenue for interested viewers to discover new content creators to watch.

Some good examples are the r/vgstreams Subreddit, where members can choose to promote individual streams and r/twitchstreams, the home of good Twitch Content. Both communities are always looking out for fresh, new streamers, hence you’ll fit right in! Don’t forget to post your best clips and highlights to be discovered.

Be creative

If you’re planning to post on communities for self-promotion, better grab the chance and give it your best shot. Don’t just attach a simple link to your channel. The rest of the community must know what kind of streams you offer (Variety content, Valorant gameplays, etc.) so make sure to add a brief description in the text post.

You may also choose to add some more helpful information, such as your usual stream schedule or your in-game user ID if you’re looking for new friends to play with.

Tell your intentions

One way to be more engaging with the community is to let them know your intentions behind your stream. For example, state in the description box if you’re looking for new people to chat with and play in a few games as well. Playing with a new audience is a great goal to set if you’re looking for new friends and possible new followers or subscribers.

If you’re working your way to hit Twitch Partner status or becoming an affiliate, be honest with your goals as you invite new people to watch your stream. Be vocal with your appreciation for the possible help, so thank them in advance if they ever decide to drop by and tune in!

Be lowkey

The truth is: most Redditors wouldn’t willingly join a Subreddit that’s only full of self-promotion. Similarly, the majority of Subreddit communities tend to restrict advertisement spams and have strict rules about self promotion of content.

With that in mind, a simple post linking to your Twitch channel will likely end up being buried over hundreds of other Redditors who are doing the same thing. It won’t be an effective advertising strategy at all.

What you can do, however, is to be discreet and lowkey in advertising your content. You may create funny memes or posts that may end up being viral in the particular subreddit— and add a credit link in the comment section below that redirects to your channel.

Find ways to promote

While a blatant link to your channel is a practice that’s generally frowned upon, you may still find various ways to self-promote on Reddit if you’re patient enough.

For example, the r/Twitch subreddit has a Promote Yourself menu in the sidebar where community members can post redirect links to places other than Reddit. This includes links to your YouTube or Twitch channel, or direct gameplay videos.

If you participated in any ongoing contest or competition, you may also promote your entry in the same section. You might even gain some more votes if you do so.

Put out quality content

Typically, most Redditors do not hop on Reddit to browse stream or channel suggestions. If anything, they’d be checking a variety of interesting content. You can use this to your advantage by consistently putting out a series of quality content (not limited to funny/crazy clips or memes) and adding your channel details to your profile.

If a number of users find your content enjoyable, they might just check out your channel and videos if they know you are also a streamer. This is a great opportunity to be discovered on Reddit, as normal stream links won’t get many attention or clicks typically.

Be active on your niche’s subreddit

Most games such as PUBG, Valorant, or League of Legends have their own dedicated Subreddit. You can opt to post there after doing something relevant and impressive— like a new personal best in a speedrun or an insane combo of gameplay.

In general, people are often annoyed by content creators who desperately shove their content down others’ throats. You wouldn’t want to leave an impression of selling something to your new audience. Instead, show the world how you’re passionate about what you are doing.

Be a part of the community

Regardless of what gaming or niche community you join on Reddit, it’s important to be a part of the said community first before you act on personal and promotional endeavors. If you join the group with the intention of doing nothing but self-promotions, chances are you’d most likely get on the bad side of the members.

Integrate yourself with the community by upvoting other posts, actively commenting and taking part in discussions, and if possible— give out community awards.

Network with other content creators

When it comes to establishing your online brand, nothing beats forming a connection with fellow content creators.

Connecting with other streamers on Reddit may just present an opportunity for you to be invited as a part of their stream team or meet their community. This serves as a great way to start building your own community with like-minded individuals.

If they’re established streamers, they might even give you a few tips and tricks as you begin your career in the industry.

Make use of Flairs

In case you missed it, Flairs serve as tags that appear on posts or beside usernames within a subreddit. Not all Subreddits allow Flairs though, so make sure to check the communities you’ve joined thus far. For instance, members may display their Twitch channels as flairs on the r/Twitch subreddit.

As people see your posts or conversation replies, they can easily see the link to your Twitch channel. They might check out your content once you’ve triggered their interest enough.

Tap the help of others

If you have already established quite a solid following, you can ask your mods or loyal fans to make the promotion for you on Reddit.

This may be in the form of having them share your best clips, ask them to say something worthwhile about your videos, and basically just influence other people to check out your content.

Having other people attest to the quality of your content offering is sometimes better than doing a self-promotion.

Be careful not to overdo it

If you decide to post funny or interesting clips on niche communities or game-specific subreddits, consider it as a great way to get more exposure.

People on Reddit typically want to see new and exciting stuff on the daily, which includes brilliant Twitch clips. However, if you make it appear as though you’re just posting content to convince new viewers to check out your channel—  it might just turn out to be a major turn-off.

Hence, avoid adding “For more great clips, follow me on my Twitch channel!” onto the post. Remember, this is not YouTube or any other social platform that encourages that kind of practice. Like we’ve mentioned earlier, it’s best to be discreet.

Keep an eye out for Megathreads

Some Subreddits do Megathreads for people to share who they are currently watching or interesting new streamers to check out— such as r/Twitch’s monthly megathread titled “Who have you been watching this month?” and “Streamer Recommendations.”

This is considered as a great for small streamers to get their name out there. People can share the streams they’ve discovered that month and support new streamers at the same time.

Although you are free to promote yourself on these lists, it’s better to have someone else say a good word for you. Someone who can attest by the quality of your offerings.

Bottomline

As a small creator, we understand that it’s important to do whatever you can to increase channel growth. This includes trying self-promotion tactics on platforms we’d least expect, like Reddit.

Fortunately there is an untapped advertising potential on the popular discussion website, especially for small streamers. Just make sure not to do scummy things!

The post How to Promote and Advertise your Streams on Reddit appeared first on CTRL+Zed.

Starting out a career on various live streaming platforms can be rather rough and challenging, especially if you’re beginning from scratch in the most popular ones.

For instance, Twitch had approximately 9.52 million active streamers as of February 2021. YouTube Gaming raked over 100 hours of watch time and more than 40 million gaming channels, and over 800 million people use Facebook Gaming to play various connected games.

Carving a name for yourself with these humongous numbers can turn out to be more of a struggle than you’d initially expect it to be.

If you want to achieve success and results in the streaming industry, you must become an efficient strategist. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen overnight. It requires time, patience, and a bit of luck for the odds to be on your side.

A Strategist?

First off, let’s talk about being a Strategist when it comes to doing self-promotions.

There are dozens to hundreds of different ways to promote your content and channel on the internet― but it doesn’t really guarantee solid results. What works for some may sadly not turn out well for you. You may learn from the best streamers to date but once you apply the same tips to your content, it may not turn out the same way you’d expect.

To know which strategies work best for your goals, you must brace yourself for a trial and error process. You’re the only one who can figure out which strategies work for your channel. After all, it’s the one fool-proof way for you to discover which promotion tactics work best. This will save your precious time and effort from being wasted.

With that in mind, here are 20 beginner-friendly tips to help you get your live streams discovered:

1. Know your platform’s strength and weaknesses

With a number of social media platforms you can choose to promote your streams, it’s important to keep in mind that each has its own different set of strengths and weaknesses.

What works for one platform doesn’t particularly work perfectly for another, and vice versa. With this in mind, you must consider finding out the pros and cons of your chosen platform. Having this knowledge will help you make the most out of your strategies.

Accordingly, you should be mindful of your platform’s community guidelines. Some platforms are strict when it comes to self-advertising, such as the popular anonymous discussion website Reddit. You wouldn’t wanna be flagged for violating the rules at some point.

2. Figure out your selling point

Ask yourself questions like, what sets you apart from the thousands of other aspiring streamers? What makes your streams unique from the rest? Once you figure this out, you can use that as your selling point.

This will give your viewers a solid reason why they should continue supporting you in your career. For new audiences, they’ll likely turn to be one of your followers if they find your content fit to their tastes.

If you’re a naturally bubbly person with lots of charm, this can just be your selling point. If you’re someone with god-like skills on par to that of pro eSports players, you can use it to your advantage in enticing new viewers.

3. Do creative promotions

Simply attaching a link to a text post wouldn’t entice new viewers to check out your content. If anything, you’ll just garner a bad reputation as a possible spammer or promotion bot.

Add a human touch to your promotions by using your in-game clips or video footages to promote your channel. Make sure to post it around, not just on one platform, to see if it gets you initial traction.

Instead of opting for plain text posts, you are most likely to get attention with photo and video posts. Feel free to run wild with your creativity!

4. Host or raid other similar channels

Regardless of your chosen platform, there are dozens to hundreds of other streamers who are offering the same content as you. You can use this to your advantage by hanging out in their streams and host or raid them once you’re done with yours.

In particular, Twitch raids are considered as a good strategy to promote small streamers. Once you become more active in this endeavor, you will get to know more people. Eventually, your fellow streamer might decide to come by, host and raid you in return for your favors.

Networking is always a great strategy especially in the streaming industry. Instead of treating others as your competition, you can view them as potential friends who may help you grow your channel.

5. Help others

Aside from posting nothing but gameplays, you may also play the role of an in-game analyst or strategist which can then help others― especially  beginner players.

You can conduct research to give excellent game tips and share it on forums and other platforms. By helping others, you are also increasing your chances of getting discovered as a content creator by like-minded individuals in the community.

This will also give you the branding of being a reliable streamer, hence new viewers might just drop by your live streams to see if you have any new information or tips/tricks to share.

6. Make friends

Nobody wants to support a streamer acting all-mighty and snob, especially if you’re just starting out in the industry. As a small streamer, make it your goal to make friends in your every livestream.

You don’t have to search far. You can simply treat your viewers as your friends, so your promotion strategies will not be self-centered. Forming a connection with your audience is another way to make new friends.

Who knows, these new friends may just be your very first donators or solid, loyal followers at the peak of your career.

7. Promote on Social Media

Being active on social media is a great way to promote your streams. For instance, there are quite a number of retweet bots on Twitter that will automatically retweet your promo tweets if you use their hashtag. In particular, using the #supportsmallstreamers hashtag is ideal for beginner streamers.

You may also opt to browse other game-specific hashtags on the platform to find some interesting posts from fellow enthusiasts. Engage with their posts, such as giving it a react or a reply.

Doing so will give you a chance to be discovered by other gaming enthusiasts and like-minded individuals in your niche.

8. Rely on word-of-mouth promos

Every streamer wants to establish a good reputation for themselves. Having a favorable reputation will most likely invite new viewers to check out your content and at the same time keep your loyal supporters around.

We’ve already mentioned the importance of promoting on social media and networking with other streamers, hence you may rely on them to do the promos for you as long as you’ve established quite a nice reputation as a small streamer. For starters, be friendly and engaging and don’t be rude!

The last thing you’d want is to deal with the internet’s notorious cancel culture, especially in the early stages of your career.

9. Consider less-saturated games

With thousands of other aspiring streamers, it will be quite a challenge for someone new to the scene to break into a saturated category. Starting with games such as Fortnite and Overwatch will be considerably difficult for new streamers to gain their traction.

With that in mind, it’s not really a bad idea to consider less-saturated games such as indie titles and the like. A smaller game might have less average viewers compared to titular ones, but its tight-knit community will likely help you grow your channel faster.

More like-minded people will check out your channel naturally, simply because they can find you as opposed to being buried under hundreds of other streamers in mainstream games.

10. Host giveaways

One good way to get your name out there is to do giveaways for your chosen community. This will maximize possible exposure for your channel.

For example, you can choose to have a gaming headset, gift cards, or in-game character skins up for grabs. Have your audience share your post if they want to participate in the raffle. This will likely get your channel more known in the community.

You may even use a unique hashtag, such as your channel name + “Giveaway” for easier tracking of participants. It will also be a great strategy for branding.

11. Set clear goals and work on achieving them

To be a successful streamer, you must set clear goals for your streaming career and carefully come up with a plan that’ll help you achieve results. Aspire to maximize your channel’s audience reach from day one. Outlining your main objective will help you focus on what you prioritize for your channel or wish to achieve, either impressions or engagements.

Howevr, you must not set unrealistic goals if you’re barely starting out in your journey. Make sure your goals are attainable— so you can measure your progress from time to time to see if you are getting there.

It may also help to put a time frame on your objectives, so you’ll have a grasp on the time you need to achieve such goals. Do not be too harsh on yourself, okay?

12. Stick to a consistent schedule

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Another way to be discovered by new audiences is to follow a consistent streaming schedule. If you follow an exact time and day when you’ll be online and live, it’s easier for your followers to check out your livestreams every time.

You can also share your stream schedule on social media as a way of self-promotion. Interested viewers will then have an idea what time or what day of the week should they tune in for your streams.

Once you’ve set up a schedule that works, considering your other day to day activities, do your best to stream consistently. The last thing viewers want is to follow a content creator that’s prone to disappear every once in a while.

13. Study other streamers

If you feel like you’re not gaining any engagement despite your promotion efforts, it might help to check out other streamers and figure out what makes them successful in the industry

In general, gaming streams follow a standard proven format but other categories are still pretty open to various approaches. This gives content creators a bit of freedom to think about their strategies.

Regardless, it doesn’t hurt to check out what approach other successful streamers follow. You might learn a thing or two from their broadcasts, which may just lead your content to be discovered! Quality live streams are what viewers appreciate the most.

14. Prioritize your branding

If you use clunky overlays or poor-quality graphics for your streams, this might have a negative effect on your branding as a content creator. Bad branding is something you’d want to stray away from, especially if you’re aiming to make it among the streaming A-listers.

Keep in mind that first impressions are important. These elements are usually what your viewers see first before they even see you and your gameplays/content.

Hence, having seamless scene switching transitions, a personalized logo and other animated effects will undoubtedly impress your viewers. Score those awesome points and take them away!

15. Be genuine

A good rule of thumb as a streamer is to just be yourself. As you do the stuff you like such as playing games or talking to your audience, it’s also ideal that you have fun while doing it.

The adage ‘fake it until you make it’ only gets you so far. Trust us, your viewers can recognize whether you’re truly passionate about what you do or you’re just forced into doing it.

Having genuine intentions in your streaming endeavors can entice new audiences into checking out your other content and channel. Watching a genuine talent is considerably a breath of fresh air on the internet, so make it a goal to become one!

16. Be proud of your work

Viewers tend to stay away from self-deprecating streamers, especially when they make it seem like they’re not proud of their content. Never say something like “my gameplay is trash,” or something along those lines. It only shows possible insecurities and an inferiority complex.

Your streams are a product of effort and hard work, hence it deserves any attention it gets. Try to be proud of your content instead of dragging your spirits down.

If an aspiring streamer doesn’t have any pride in what they post, chances are no one else will. Instead of wallowing in self pity, you can say “Check out my recent stream, I worked really hard on it” instead. The tone commands more respect from  your audience.

17. Make use of live notifications

Live notifications are there for a reason, where your followers will get an alert whenever you go live. This can help you build your brand in the long run.

Don’t forget to remind your viewers to stay updated with live notifications during your broadcasts. Mention it whenever you have breaks in between gameplays, or whenever you need to feel the gap for IRL streams. For instance, typing !notify in the live chat notifies a viewer regarding a streamer’s particular live streams on Facebook.

If you want to wait for organic promotions when viewers are going to promote in your place, it might  take an enormous time as a small streamer. Most likely, you may even get bored before this happens.

18. Be a part of the community

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Explicitly doing self-promotions on any platform can be generally considered rude. However, you can do your part by becoming a part of the community first before you do any promotion.

Remember to be an active, positive member of the particular community you are aiming to join. This will give you the chance to be a part of the conversation easier.

If you’ve built a positive reputation for yourself, chances are more people are likely to check out your channel and content for themselves. They might even decide to give you a follow or a donation if they’re feeling generous.

19. Do all necessary preparations

Every streamer must aim to impress their viewers. This doesn’t have to be solely in the form of having expensive, state-of-the art equipment, as you can impress your viewers by doing a little bit of preparation.

Before you go live, make sure that everything around you is in order. Your connection must be ideally stable as you wouldn’t want to deal with network connectivity problems in the middle of your stream.

You can set up a work area that’s exclusive for your streaming activities, jot down key things you want to follow in your stream, and set specific timings as a structure for your entire broadcast. A little bit of preparation on your part can save you.

20. Give your viewers a reason to come back for more

Once you figure out what makes you unique and different from the rest— there’s no stopping you from using that as your trump card.

Remember what League of Legends’ K/DA recently sang? “You look like you could use some more.” This exact mantra will help you give your viewers a solid reason to keep tuning in to your livestreams.

Think of what you can offer your viewers that other streamers don’t have, and work on enhancing that. Merely interacting with your live audience won’t suffice. You must also work on finding other ways to strengthen those connections and relationships.

Self-promotion on Discord

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We would’ve added Discord as a part of the 20 tips mentioned above, but the opportunity present in the platform calls for a separate header for an extensive discussion.

In particular, the instant messaging and digital distribution platform has a number of servers designed for your self-promotion needs. Once you join these servers and read their community guidelines, you can distinguish whether or not channel links and advertising posts are allowed on the said server.

Some servers are more lax than others— which is something you need to keep in mind. The last thing you’d want is for your account to be flagged for violating a clear house rule.

Nowadays, Discord has become one of the most important platforms for aspiring streamers to be discovered by the community. Once you’ve built a decent number of audiences, you may even create and manage a Discord server of your own.

Most A-listers in the gaming/streaming community have a server for their audience to hang out in, which provides a great avenue for a beginner like you to promote your content and channel.

Unsolicited Self-Promotion

In general, unsolicited self-promotion is generally discouraged for beginner streamers. Doing bad self promos can ruin your reputation before you’ve even made a name for yourself.

There’s no rulebook to clearly distinguish bad self promos, but what you can do is to word and compose your promotion posts better.

For instance, don’t lurk on other established streamers’ live broadcasts and have an approach that suggests a tone of self-pity. Instead, try to ask them for good tips to follow if you’re aiming to become an affiliate or partner of your chosen live streaming platform.

It’s also not good to force others into following you back, even if you’ve followed them. Remember that it’s entirely up to them if they want to stay updated with your content. What you can do is to ask them to check out your channel if they have the time in a nice, polite manner.

Bottomline

At the end of the day, it’s not forbidden to self-promote as long as you don’t violate any community guidelines.

Solely depending on your channel’s organic growth is generally slow, which is pretty much the same thing for every streamer out there— unless you happen to go viral in a day or are extremely talented.

A little self promo never hurt nobody, just make sure to do it as polite and proper as you can.

Featured image from Blinkx_ on Twitch

The post Self-Promotion for Streamers: 20 Tips for Getting Your Streams Discovered appeared first on CTRL+Zed.

Heads up, FPS fans! Another competitive shooter is coming your way on mobile. Known as Global Offensive Mobile, a CS:GO Mobile Clone has been recently spotted on the Google Play Store.

Keep this in mind— the game is not a mobile remake of any sort. Rather, it appears to be an exact clone of the original and classic PC game with its similar weapon list, assets, and game modes.

Is it Valve-backed?

First off, we need to clarify if this CS:GO mobile port is supported and backed by Valve itself. Unfortunately, Global Offensive Mobile is an unofficial, bootleg copy of the titular FPS game.

Valve is yet to show any interest in bringing over one of the most popular online games and eSports titles on mobile, but clearly— other developers are keen on testing the waters.

According to an official source, the game is published by ‘Cheese WT’ for Android devices. Global Offensive Mobile is only available in Thailand as of writing, with its Closed Beta Test stage up until February 18, 2021.

A mobile CS:GO port is expected to be popular within the Thai gaming community, where mobile gaming is gaining traction and continuous success. However, interested players from other regions may have to wait a while for the game’s official release date.

The publisher of the game hasn’t released the global version, but its beta version has been launched on APKPURE. It’s also available to add to the Wishlist on Google Play Store for now. There’s no information about the iOS version of this game yet.

Cheese WT also announced that they are planning to make the mobile FPS title compatible with more devices to cater to more gamers.

Global Offensive Mobile’s current game size is around 1.2 GB, hence a mid-end smartphone is ideal if you want the game to run smoothly.

CS:GO on Mobile

How exactly is the mobile game similar to CS:GO? For starters, “Global Offensive Mobile” blatantly copied a part of the title from Counter Strike: Global Offensive. This is already considered as a red flag by many.

Also, aside from being inspired by CS:GO elements, the game went on to clone the classic PC game experience on small, handheld devices. This includes the FPS gameplay, graphics, weapons skins, classic maps, markets, and more. The similarities are easily observable in the game’s official teaser images on the official Google Play Store page.

Some maps and weapons were directly copied from CS:GO, hence is why the game earned the rather reputation of ‘CS:GO Mobile’. It even has similar sound effects, voices, animations, and even weapon bullet trajectory.

Familiar game modes such as Deathmatch, Demolition, Casual, Zombie, and more are also present in the game. Developers also confirmed they plan to introduce new maps and game modes in the next updates.

At this point, long-time CS:GO fans and veterans might need to prepare the ultimate Mobile Gamer starter pack in anticipation for the game’s official global launch— if ever it pushes through.

A Striking Rip-off

It seems like the Thailand-based developer of the game isn’t afraid of any lawsuit from Valve, or most likely, they’re showing Valve the potential of their game.

The mobile shooter features 6 game modes and 6 different maps as of writing, 3 of which are Dust 2, Inferno, and Mirage. The maps are taken directly from CS:GO, with no intention of even changing the names. Even the iconic “Go go go” tagline is used by the mobile title.

Most notably, all weapons from CS:GO are also present in this supposed mobile version. Each weapon is a perfect copy as they also function similar to the original. The game looks visually stunning, considering it is made in the Unity engine. Even the in-game controls seem to be perfectly adapted for the mobile platform.

Perhaps the only notable differences between the two is one new map, new skins and different operators.

With a couple of teaser trailers and gameplay clips, the mobile game became a trending topic on the internet in the past month. It has captured the attention of FPS gamers and enthusiasts alike, who might be feeling nostalgic of their CS:GO glory days.

Demolition Game Mode

One particular description of Global Offensive Mobile’s demolition game mode, aka Bomb Mode, reads:

“Bomb Mode Divide players into 2 sides, red team and blue team. The red team had a player carrying grenades. Install the grenade in the designated location. Destroy the enemy’s strategic points or kill all enemies.”

“The blue team must interrupt the enemy and install bombs. Either defuse the bomb after it is installed Or kill all enemies When the time is up The red team cannot successfully mount a bomb, the blue team wins.”

However, instead of having Terrorists or Counter-Terrorists, the teams are simply named Red and Blue.

The Trend of Mobile Gaming

It’s not a surprise to know the CS:GO mobile clone is backed by South East Asian developers, considering the huge success of the mobile gaming industry in the region.

Esports remain to be a relatively new concept in Southeast Asia, as compared to traditional PC games such as DoTA 2 and of Legends, but it is growing at a steady, exponential rate.

For example, the battle royale title Free Fire was the most downloaded mobile game of 2019, beating out heavyweight PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds Mobile. The game also passed the US $1 billion mark in total revenue for the previous year.

In general, the SEA region generated game revenues of $4.4 billion in 2019. Mobile gaming, specifically, accounted for $3.1 billion of the 2019 revenues— which is over 70% of the market according to Newzoo.

With iconic games such as Call of Duty, Fortnite, League of Legends, and PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds getting their own mobile ports— it was only a matter of time for CS:GO Mobile to appear in the picture, at least its rip-off version that is.

There are a number of thriving eSports titles on mobile with prize pools on par with PC LAN tournaments, and if you want to get to know more about these games you might want to check out our well-curated list.

In-game transactions

Like many other free-to-play games, it seems like Global Offensive Mobile plans to rely on in-game microtransactions to make profit. Like its PC predecessor, the mobile game already revealed a number of available cosmetic skins for different weapons.

With a diverse weapon system of over 40 weapon types, the demand for weapon skins will undoubtedly sell like hotcakes. What makes any FPS game more enjoyable and interesting is the addition of fancy skins— either for personalization purposes or simply bragging rights.

If you’re a free-to-play player, fret not! You may also obtain various, equally stunning exclusive weapon skins in some seasonal events without having to spend a single cent.

Possible Lawsuit

Currently, Valve has not yet publicly acknowledged Global Offensive Mobile nor did it mention anything about the alleged CS:GO mobile clone.

The CS:GO community, especially long-time fans, were quite taken aback to see that the mobile game had blatantly copied maps, gun models, title, and other such features from the beloved PC game.

Some fans believe this would certainly warrant a heavy lawsuit from Valve, while a few others had some controversial theories of their own, especially on Reddit.

“It’s a csgo rip-off. If it’s not Valve related it’s a mega lawsuit for the creators.”

“Unless this game actually comes to global as CS:GO Mobile and this beta currently is like a testing ground release for china playerbase this game don’t stand a chance of staying.”

“Gameplay in general can’t be patented, but the name “Global Offensive Mobile” is certainly something that can be contested legally.”

“From the looks of it they also straight up ripped the weapon and knife models lmao, no chance this stays up.”

The Hype Beyond SEA

The game has also garnered the attention of interested players from countries like Brazil and Turkey, where mobile gaming proves its growing potential.

Notably, similar mobile FPS titles like Call of Duty Mobile and PUBG Mobile have established a burgeoning mobile eSports in these regions. If Global Offensive Mobile pushes through with a global launch without any objection from Valve, although highly unlikely, then an eSports scene for the mobile title may soon begin to appear in the picture.

Bottomline

It was only a matter of time for a CS:GO mobile title to be published, regardless of whether it was officially supported by Valve or not.

Considering the global popularity of CS:GO, Global Offensive Mobile, its most palpable clone on mobile— shows some great potential in the mobile gaming industry even prior to its global launch.

The nostalgic CS:GO assets and the idea of bringing the iconic FPS experience over to mobile is just one of the many reasons why it’s one of the most anticipated mobile games right now.

The post What is Global Offensive Mobile? CS:GO on Mobile appeared first on CTRL+Zed.

One thing to keep in mind if you want to become a successful Twitch streamer is: you’re not solely limited to doing game streams.

One genre that’s gaining traction on the popular live streaming platform is Just Chatting, where streamers talk to their audience and do anything under the sun (which includes dancing or singing).

If you’re aiming to stream IRL content on Twitch, here are some beginner-friendly tips to keep in mind:

1. Find a way to fill in the gaps

For many aspiring streamers, it’ll be quite a challenge to talk nonstop for hours especially if you only have a limited audience at present. To avoid awkward pauses and gaps, it’s best to prepare a list of possible topics to talk about ahead of time.

Search about relevant, trending topics that you believe would entice more viewers to join the conversation. Getting your audience engaged in a conversation is key if you want to broadcast long Just Chatting streams.  You can also choose to prepare talking points, not necessarily a script but a short guide on ready content threads.

2. Build a show

Think of your Just Chatting broadcast as a TV show, assigning different segments so the livestream has solid structure. Most viewers wouldn’t want to watch hours-long live broadcasts that’s very random and unorganized.

When preparing for your stream structure, consider your intended schedule so as not to overextend or run short of segments for your stream of the day. However, do keep in mind that these plans are subject to change once you go live.

If you happen to stumble across technical difficulties or any problems, adjust your plans accordingly.

3. Be consistent

When it comes to Just Chatting streams, you need to establish your branding as a Twitch streamer as early as you can. This will help you distinguish and make yourself unique especially with hundreds of other aspiring streamers on the platform.

Hence, make it a goal to keep everything consistent— from your tone of voice to banner overlays and logos. Like many other things in life, consistency is key.

4. Be creative with titles

Stream titles are often overlooked by many content creators, but it’s actually one important element that can help your Twitch career take off at some point. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your stream titles!

For instance, make it intriguing enough to convince people to click and check out your video. Be funny and witty! Don’t stray away too much and make it irrelevant to what you’re actually doing in your live stream though.

5. Pick a good thumbnail

Before you select your stream thumbnail, it’s ideal to ask the opinion and comments of others first. Your goal should be selecting a strong thumbnail image that will stand out from the crowd.

Remember that there are hundreds of other Just Chatting streams on Twitch. It’s easy for new, potential viewers to scroll past your live broadcast if you don’t make your thumbnails compelling enough.

6. Just keep talking

There will come a point in your Just Chatting stream where you’ll feel like you’ve run out of things to talk about. Don’t worry, that’s just normal. Plenty of other content creators in the same category also feel the same way.

One solution to this predicament is to just always be talking. Aside from preparing a list of possible topics to talk about, you can keep your stream going by interacting with your viewers by asking questions, telling personal funny stories, or sharing what happened to your day.

7. Don’t shoo away lurkers

There’s no need to feel self-conscious if an overwhelming amount of your viewers end up lurking in your livestream. This is actually quite normal among many content creators, with the majority of their audience preferring to chill and lowkey lurk in the background as streamers do their thing (whether Just Chatting or play video games).

Although reminding them to be active in the chat or to give your channel a follow is ideal, be careful not to overdo it. The last thing you’d want is to force your audience into doing stuff all for the benefit of your channel growth.

8. Master the art of improvisation

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Just Chatting on Twitch has a very improvised nature compared to traditional gameplay streams. When doing streams under this category, aspiring streamers are allowed to do anything they want on camera as long as it follows the platform’s Terms of Service.

It features a great opportunity for new talents to stand out with their extraordinary improv skills. At the same time, it also gives a way to stay more connected with one’s growing following.

9. Use clips for promotions

If you have funny highlights and interesting moments from your Just Chatting streams, simply save a clip and use it to promote your channel across social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.

This is a great way to lure new and interested viewers to check out your live broadcasts, as you are showing them some of the footage they might witness when they decide to tune in.

You may also include some behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage of your Just Chatting streams.

10. Befriend other Just Chatting streamers

Instead of considering other streamers in the same category as your rivals, you should instead consider them as possible friends who can help you succeed in the industry.

Keep an eye out for other Twitch streamers with similar content, you may even learn a thing or two from them. Making friends with other Just Chatting streamers on Twitch may just give you the right connections you need to succeed in the platform.

11. Do self-promotions

Remember: you’re not solely limited to promoting on Twitch alone. Social media is a great tool to widen your audience reach and increase your online presence— hence you should use it to your advantage.

Be creative in promoting your scheduled Just Chatting streams on your social media accounts like Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. Keep in mind that you only have one shot at making a good first impression as a content creator on the internet. For instance, you may attach a current taken selfie (if you’re comfortable) or fun video clips.

12. Reach out to your community

Keep engaged with your audience even after your streams are over. You may choose to take the conversation and discussion in a private Discord server or on Twitter where you can still keep in touch with some of your loyal followers.

Engaging with your viewers as much as possible is a great way to form a lasting connection with them. By giving them your precious time, they may just find a good reason to keep supporting you in your career.

13. Showcase your talents

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If you have hidden talents, Just Chatting streams prove to be a great avenue for you to showcase your skills and share them with the world! This includes Photoshop editing, drawing and Illustrator skills or playing musical instruments.

You may also jump on the trend of Mukbang (eating) or cooking shows, where streamers eat large quantities of scrumptious food in front of the camera and engage with their viewers while finishing their meal.

If you’re a pop culture aficionado, you might also consider doing streams about movie, book, or game reviews. Fellow like-minded individuals are most likely to check out your streams if you shoot your shot well.

14. Be genuine

As the adage goes, fake it ’til you make it— however, faking your interest and enthusiasm in “talking” would just bring up more problems on your part as a Just Chatting streamer in the long run. Keep in mind that you’ll have to talk quite a lot in your livestreams, usually for hours.

If you’re aiming to be successful in the industry, start by being genuine in front of the camera. Let your audience feel your sincerity in your streaming endeavors. Being interactive is a great strategy, hence try to talk more about yourself if you’re just starting your career.

Viewers who watch new streamers with a relatively small viewer count are typically those who want interaction or connection with someone new. Tell some interesting stuff about yourself, your hobbies or goals. More people will likely be compelled to jump in the conversation if you do.

15. Ignore malicious trolls

Let’s face it, there is no end in sight for Twitch trolls. Every streamer on the platform gets their fair share every now and then, and beginner streamers are not exempted to their nuisance.

As a content creator, you must learn to roll with it and practice the art of ignoring trolls in your chat. You have the option to mute/ban if necessary, especially if things start to go awry. It’s easier said than done but you mustn’t let these online trolls get to you.

Being a Just Chatting streamer where you have to adlib most of the time and go with impromptu discussions, don’t let a troll ruin your online conversation with your audience. Choose to ignore malicious live comments, as they don’t deserve any of your attention or time anyway.

Featured image from inzaynia on Twitch

The post 15 Tips for your Just Chatting Twitch Streams appeared first on CTRL+Zed.

It’s 2021 and you know what that means, free-to-play gamers! Another bunch of free games are waiting for us this year. There is no need to spend a single cent, considering some high-quality, fun F2P games are waiting for gamers to give them a go.

Whether you’re playing on mobile, console, or PC— we’ve compiled 10 of the most anticipated upcoming free games for 2021:

1. Roller Champions

Another sports game is coming your way! Developed by Ubisoft, Roller Champions is set to be released for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2021.

The competitive multiplayer game features fast-paced 3v3 matches, where players skate and glide from wall-to-wall in fan-packed arenas. Dodge, pass through, and tackle other players if you want to score goals.

The rules are simple: players must grab the ball and make laps around the rink while securing the ball in the team’s possession to score goals.

After customizing your own champion, put your skills to the test by competing in a variety of game modes such as quick match, custom match, and ranked mode. Developers assure more special and time-limited modes will be introduced along the way.

In Roller Champions, teamwork makes the dream work! Communication is key once playing in the rink, your team must work together if you wish to win the match.

2. Kimetsu no Yaiba: Keppuu Kengeki Royale

It’s no surprise to know Kimetsu no Yaiba or Demon Slayer is slowly taking over the world— even in the gaming industry. A free-to-download mobile game titled Kimetsu no Yaiba: Keppu Kengeki Royale based on the popular anime was originally scheduled to be released in 2020, published by Aniplex Inc.

However, the game’s launch date has been moved indefinitely over quality assurance issues.

Keppu Kengeki Royale is an asymmetric battle survival action game where players are divided into the Demon Slayer Corps and the demon camps, with the goal of taking each other out.

2020 has been a rather eventful year for the famed series, with the finished manga finishing serialization and the Mugen Train movie. Fans are hopeful for the mobile game to be launched this year, considering the series’ continued success.

3. Scavengers

Ready for an upcoming free-to-play strategic shooter game? You might want to give Scavengers a try, a strategic survival battleground. Players form squads of three to fight for survival and dominance in a hybrid of sandbox-style PVE and class-based PVP.

Select from a roster of adaptive Explorers, where you can combine unique abilities and weapons to conquer the challenges of a hostile environment. Compete for survival and dominance across a frozen wasteland by outsmarting your opponents and the other dwellers of the frozen Earth.

The game is developed by Midwinter Entertainment and published by Improbable Worlds Limited. It’s official release date on Steam remains to be listed as “Coming Soon,” but fans are hopeful for a 2021 launch.

4. PUBG New State

A new chapter awaits PUBG fans in PUBG: New State. Krafton and PUBG Studios have announced the brand new mobile BR game straight from the makers of PUBG: Mobile.

New State is set in the year 2051, allowing players and fans to leap into the far future from the original PUBG Mobile game setting.

The futuristic battleground features a post-apocalyptic setting. An early trailer shows intense gun battles across an abandoned shopping mall, vehicles with neon lights, and new additional weapons.

For instance, there will be drones and ballistic shields― which has been already a staple in Call of Duty Mobile, another competitive BR title on mobile.

The game’s official release date hasn’t been confirmed yet, but pre-registration is on-going for Android users. New State will be available on both Android and iOS devices.

5. NARAKA: BLADEPOINT

Described as an unchained multiplayer combat, set foot in Naraka where the mask of an ancient god absorbs blood through endless slaughter. A plethora of weapons and grappling hooks await interested players!

This 60-player action Battle Royale game offers insane mobility powered by grappling hooks, an arsenal of melee and ranged weapons, and characters with powerful abilities. You may even transform into a gigantic Vajra Warrior to crush your enemies.

The game had its first Beta in North America and Asia regions, with two modes, six characters, ten weapons, and over 30 thousand beta players.

Its planned release date is sometime in Summer 2021, where more contents await players. Multiple new characters and a new melee weapon will be introduced to Morus Island. New modes such as Duel, 3v3, 100-Player BR, and PVE will also be included.

6. Blankos Block Party

Blankos Block Party turns the concept of toys-to-life games into reality! The game is heavily based on Blankos, Funko-esque vinyl characters in various designs. It features a user-generated universe where any player can create their own mini-games and invite their friends to play together.

The vibrant open-world multiplayer game is styled like a giant block party, with a focus on custom art, design, building, and of course― exploration.

However, Mythical Games’ broader goal for Blankos Block Party is to make use of blockchain to allow gamers own and trade their in-game items; something dubbed as a “player-led economy”.

Currently on its private beta stage, Blankos Block Party is slated for release on gaming consoles in 2021.

7.  Magic: Legends

Cryptic Studios announced their free-to-play action-RPG, Magic: Legends, where players put together a deck of cards (MtG influence) while beating swarms of monsters ala Diablo.

The game combines the card game’s five elements of magic into five classes, such as the Geomancer and Beastcaller. Players build a deck of spells as they play, with spells drawn at random amid combat. It gives an interesting twist on the traditional action-RPG elements.

Magic: Legends has 4 difficulty levels to choose from: Normal, Hard, Expert, and Master. Players are free to choose their own paths and make the game as challenging or easy to their liking.

The game will officially enter its open beta stage on March 23, 2021. Magic: Legends will be available for download on its own site, Epic Games Store, and Steam.

8. Enlisted

Heads up, history enthusiasts! Enlisted is an upcoming free-to-play World War 2 MMO where players must lead their squad of soldiers in large-scale combat.

The game is complete with infantry, armored vehicles and aircraft fighting on the iconic battlefields of World War II such as the landing at Omaha Beach etc. It gives players a a similar feeling of taking part in a real-life military battle.

Every campaign offers a new experience. For instance, the defense of Moscow in 1941-1942 or storming of the Reich Chancellery in 1945 features a unique gaming experience for every history enthusiast.

Currently, the game is on its Closed Beta Testing stage on PC and the Xbox Series X|S new generation consoles.

9. Home Sweet Home : Survive

This indie title is perfect if you’re into horror games! Home Sweet Home presents its soul-stirring sequel, where players immerse themselves in a world of Thai myths.

Teamwork is crucial for squads to get out of the horrifying world, where players either have to hunt or avoid being hunted in one game.

Two core gameplays depend on the role of players, with 1 Specter hunting 4 survivors in an arena. The Specter must strategically hunt 4 Survivors and avoid getting killed. Each Specter will have different strategies and special abilities to hunt survivors.

Meanwhile, survivors have to work together to complete the objective. Every character will have varying unique abilities, either decoy, damage, or performing the rituals. According to its Steam game profile, it has an initial release date of March 2021.

10. Aircraft Carrier Survival: Prologue

Here’s another upcoming game to look out for, history enthusiasts! Aircraft Carrier Survival: Prologue allows players to take control of an aircraft carrier, its crew, officers and planes set during WW2.

This simulator set in the merciless reality of World War II will hone each player’s prowess as a commander deciding the fate of a naval behemoth.

Keep in mind that your success will depend greatly on your flexibility in managing the available fleet resources. Players must effectively assign a crew and choose what their officers should focus on, as proper management will be the key to success.

The decision is yours to make, whether you intend to take on an enemy directly, sneak past them, or find an alternative route to avoid contact. Remember: the choice is all yours.

The game’s release date on Steam is still “Soon,” hence stay tuned for more updates!

Bottomline

We’ve only listed 10 of the most anticipated free-to-play games for this year, but the list actually spans broader than this article. There are quite a number of F2P games waiting for you, free-to-play gamers!  A simple Google search will yield hundreds of results to your delight.

Which titles did we miss adding to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Top 10 Most Anticipated Upcoming Free Games 2021 appeared first on CTRL+Zed.

It’s no surprise to know mobile gaming continues to take on the gaming industry by storm. According to Statista, total smartphone gaming revenue was estimated at over 63 billion U.S. dollars worldwide in 2020 alone.

Since mobile media takes more of our time, the daily time mobile users use their devices is expected to grow to 234 minutes by 2021. More internet users across the globe are now using their smartphones to browse the web and play games, rather than the traditional means of using a PC or laptop.

With that in mind, here are 10 of the best upcoming mobile games for both Android & iOS devices you shouldn’t miss!

Apex Legends Mobile

This popular Battle Royale title will soon have its official mobile port debut! Slated for a 2021 release, Apex Legends fans can expect to experience the battle for glory, fame, and fortune on the fringes of the Frontier— all on the small screen.

Apex Legends Mobile is being developed by Tencent and Respawn Entertainment. If everything goes according to the plan, the mobile version of the game may launch by October 2021.

Choose among a growing roster of powerful, diverse Legends, each with their own unique personality, strengths and abilities. Brace yourselves for deep tactical squad play and new innovations that will truly take your Battle Royale experience to the next level.

Since Apex Legends is known to have a number of huge maps, it’d be difficult for outdated, old mobile devices to smoothly run such a demanding game.

Ideally, players must have an A11 Bionic chip in their iOS devices to run Apex Legends mobile (iPhone 8 – above) while Android users will need at least a Snapdragon 625 processor or even better.

The Witcher: Monster Slayer

Heads up, The Witcher fans! An AR game is coming your way on mobile. The Witcher: Monster Slayer features a combat system and is heavily reminiscent of the original game series’ elements.

The location-based augmented-reality RPG challenges players to become a professional monster hunter, where they can venture out into the world and use their mobile devices to track witcher-world monsters that roam close-by. Much like Pokemon: Go!

Set long before the time of Geralt of Rivia, start  your journey as an elite monster slayer. Be careful, as dangerous beasts may now be surrounding you. An official release date hasn’t been announced yet, but fans are anticipating its arrival in 2021.

Diablo Immortal

Blizzard officially confirmed its plans to bring the ARPG classic franchise to mobile phones!

Diablo, considerably one of the world’s most popular action role-playing game (RPG) series, will be known on mobile as Diablo Immortal. It is a mobile Massively Multiplayer Online Action RPG (MMOARPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment in partnership with NetEase, coming exclusively to Android and iOS.

It will be a touchscreen-controlled take on the classic Diablo ARPG formula featuring new character classes, gameplay mechanics and locations. Fans will have to wait for news from Blizzard on a confirmed official release date, with more beta tests planned later this year.

Here’s a more detailed description from the game official website:

“Experience the world of Sanctuary, teeming with monsters and adventure, zones and dungeons to scour for legendary loot, and deep customization systems iconic to Diablo.”

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier

Do you have what it takes to become history’s first SOLDIER? FF7: The First Soldier, a battle royale spin on the titular classic franchise, is coming to Android and iOS devices later this year.

The battle royale prequel is expected to feature a typical multiplayer shooter gunplay, but with magic spells (fireballs, cures and shield barriers,) Final Fantasy summons, and Chocobos on the battlefield. Players will also have a plethora of weapons, items and abilities at their disposal.

Based on its teaser trailer, the Shinra Electric Company is looking to upgrade its military forces by forming the Soldier program— which apparently puts them to the test in a big multiplayer fray.

Square Enix confirmed in a news release that the upcoming mobile title is set before the events of Final Fantasy 7.

Pokémon Unite

Pokémon meets League of Legends? Sign us up! Pokémon Unite is considered as Pokémon’s League of Legends-style spinoff in a nutshell. This strategic team battle game is developed by The Pokémon Company and Tencent Games’ TiMi Studios.

The concept of a Pokémon MOBA game shouldn’t surprise its fans, as battling is one of the series’ primary defining factors. The free-to-play game also switches the usual aggro-focused MOBA formula to be more about competing to catch different Pokémon.

Players go head to head against each other in 5-on-5 team battles, where they will have to work with their teammates to catch wild Pokémon, level up and evolve their own Pokémon, and defeat opponents’ Pokémon.

The goal also includes taking control over multiple points across the map and earning more points than the opposing team within the allotted time.

Pokémon Unite is set to be made available for cross-platform between Switch and mobile.

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Wands at the ready, Harry Potter fans! It has been years since the last Harry Potter movie but the magic continues to live on in Harry Potter: Magic Awakened. The mobile game for iOS and Android is now available for pre-release registration in China.

The game combines RPG story-telling and card-based combat, with the premise set in the 2008–2009 school year.

The game is developed by Warner Brothers and Netease under the Portkey Games umbrella and was first announced on October 30, 2019. A confirmed global release is yet to be announced— so stay tuned!

Stumble Guys: Multiplayer Royale

Fall Guys on Mobile? Check out Stumble Guys: Multiplayer Royale! It’s arguably the best Fall Guys clone on mobile, featuring a massively multiplayer party knockout game with up to 32 players online.

It also has the same vibrant cartoonish graphics to that of its PC counterpart. The challenge is to struggle through levels round after round of escalating chaos, until one victor remains.

If you end up falling in your tracks, it’s not game over yet! Just make sure to start again and run. Dive into ridiculous challenges, bizarre obstacles, and knock down your rivals to totally wipe them out of the game.

As of writing, Stumble Guys is currently only available on the Google Play Store. The iOS version is reportedly still in development.

PUBG: New State

Let’s add a little more modern warfare dash to the traditional PUBG formula with the futuristic new battle royale game PUBG: New State. Set in 2051, the mobile BR title takes place years after the current PUBG games (which are set in approximately modern times) on a new map called Troi.

It promises to bring a new addition of futuristic weapons and vehicles, such as drones and deployable combat shields. New State is set to dive deeper into the lore of the overall PUBG universe, much to the delight of long time PUBG and BR fans.

Like other BR titles, only the strongest will be hailed as the “Lone Survivor” in this epic showdown.

PUBG Studio promises “ultra-realistic graphics that push the limits of mobile gaming” for the action-packed mobile BR title.It will be available on Android and iOS devices sometime later in 2021, with alpha tests scheduled for later this year.

Global Offensive Mobile

Although this mobile FPS shooter is currently in its closed beta stage, it is possibly the most blatant CS:GO clone on handheld devices.

It is developed and published by a Thailand-based gaming studio called “Cheese WT.” Some long-time CS:GO fans might believe it’s the official CS:GO mobile version, but this project isn’t actually supported by Valve, at all.

There are obvious similarities between Global Offensive Mobile and CS:GO, though, from weapon skins to classic maps like Inferno and Dust II. This also includes all the fan-favorite CS:GO weapons.

As for its official release date, no exact announcement has been confirmed for Global Offensive Mobile just yet. Regardless, it is expected to release sometime in 2021.

Dragon Quest Tact

With over 10 million downloads in Japan, DRAGON QUEST TACT finally comes to the West. The free-to-play mobile tactical RPG will be heading over to Android & iOS soon.

This strategy RPG will have players team up with some familiar monsters from the classic series. Players must befriend, collect, and train iconic DRAGON QUEST monsters to charge forth to epic battles.

In keeping true to its gacha nature, players can also train, customise, and expand their crew of choice as they continue along on their quest. Gradually, you can make them unique to you. At this point, it’s turning out to be a must-play for Dragon Quest and gacha fans.

In case you missed it, the DRAGON QUEST series helped define the RPG genre and set the standard for the early titles that followed.

Whether you are new to the series or you’ve been playing from the beginning, this new mobile title will surely give you a new unforgettable adventure!

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Pog, poggers, pogchamp… What exactly do these terms mean?

If you’re spending long hours on the internet and live streaming platforms such as Twitch— arguably the world’s leading streaming site, you might have come across these terms on numerous occasions.

Words like “Pog” and “PogChamp” have been so widely used that it has intertwined with Twitch’s popular subculture. Regardless, we’re here to shed light on what these terms exactly imply for curious beginners.

Twitch context

First off, let’s start with Pog’s huge context related with Twitch. One cannot separate Twitch from Pog, and vice versa. On Twitch, POG is known to stand for “Play Of the Game.”

It’s usually used in the context of a multiplayer game match up, where one player has done something so impressive that it is considered as the main highlight or “play of the game,” meaning what they’ve done is expected to clinch the victory.

Some people use it to spam in response to witnessing any good play, but it’s intended to refer to a series of moves so good it will lead to a win. Impressive, right?

Hence, “Pog” now roughly translates to “cool” or “amazing” especially when a player performs extremely well in a match. You will often see the term used in the livestreams of titular games such as Overwatch, CS:GO, and League of Legends.

The PogChamp Emote

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More specifically, the term is also a reference to a related yet infamous “PogChamp” emote which essentially means the same thing. It debuted on Twitch back in 2012, featuring the iconic facial expression of vlogger/streamer Gootecks making a goofy, surprised face.

Gootecks’ image itself dates back to November 2010 when the streamer made the face in response to his camera being knocked into the midst of a stream.

The pioneering PogChamp emote is considerably one of the oldest emotes on Twitch and is a popular pick to convey excitement in stream chats. Some people use it to express shock and awe, while others spam it on the chat when a streamer does something cool.

Though the Pog trend was commonly used when something crazy good happens unexpectedly, it has been notably overused nowadays. People just use it when anything mildly “okay” happens.

The excitement slash surprise element has been famously abbreviated to “Pog” or “Poggers,” which is the reason why you see the term used more often on the internet rather than the actual emote. It has since taken off as a general meme expressing surprise over the last few years.

PogChamp Emote Controversy

In the beginning of 2021, Twitch announced it will delete the iconic PogChamp emote over ‘further violence’ thus marking the end of an era.

The decision came after the streamer depicted published tweets “encouraging further violence” following a recent riot at the US Capitol.

An official explanation was revealed in a series of tweets:

“We’ve made the decision to remove the PogChamp emote following statements from the face of the emote encouraging further violence after what took place in the Capitol today,”

“We want the sentiment and use of Pog to live on — its meaning is much bigger than the person depicted or image itself — and it has a big place in Twitch culture. However, we can’t in good conscience continue to enable use of the image.”

Although the PogChamp emote has been cancelled by the internet and the platform itself, Twitch promises to work with the community to design a new emote for the most hype moments on Twitch.

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It didn’t take long for the platform to confirm it’s time to be out with the old and in with the new! As of February 2021, a Komodo dragon has been crowned as Twitch’s permanent replacement for the PogChamp emote.

The KomodoHype emote features a Komodo dragon’s face that is clearly expressing hype. Just take a good look at its shockingly huge maw that somehow seems to be smiling.

It’s relatively easy to see why it won the majority of the community vote and be hailed as the new hype emoticon of the platform.

Bottomline

Now that the OG age of PogChamp is considerably over, there is no need for fans to worry— only the emote is going to be changed. The spirit and the culture behind Pog will remain with the new KomodoHype.

Even if voting is now closed, which emotes could be likened or on par to that of the old PogChamp emote? Should Twitch consider other alternatives? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Twitch 101: What does Pog mean? appeared first on CTRL+Zed.