The Twitch streamer Maik “Zarbex” Taschenbier shared in a stream about what it is like in his profession and where he has had difficulties. Especially the viewer numbers have been a problem for him, he says.
Who is it about? Zarbex has been trying to make a name for himself online for several years. Initially as a opinion blogger on his own YouTube channel, he eventually moved to Twitch. In 2024, Zarbex had his breakthrough and was able to almost tenfold his viewer count in just six months.
On his Twitch channel, he plays various games with his streamer colleagues, such as Max Schradin, and regularly participates in events. During his Twitch streams, Zarbex can entertain an average of over 10,000 viewers and has already gathered almost 1 million followers on the platform (via SullyGnome).
By now, Zarbex has established himself alongside other Twitch streamers, but the journey was difficult, as he shared in a stream.
Zarbex has been a brand ambassador for the energy drink GÖNRGY, the brand of Twitch streamer MontanaBlack, since last year. We present his career in the video:
“You doubt yourself”
What was hard for Zarbex? In a past stream (highlight on TikTok), the Twitch streamer talked about how he initially struggled with fluctuating viewer numbers on Twitch. He often wondered what could be the reason for lower viewer counts.
He would ask himself questions like: “Am I unfunny?” or “Is my hype over?”. Ultimately, this led him to experience imposter syndrome, the belief of not being enough despite having professional success.
Zarbex further says: “The stream determined my mood. (…) You doubt yourself.”
What is the reason for fluctuating viewer numbers? According to Zarbex, it depends on daily form how many viewers watch a Twitch stream. It also depends on what you are playing and with whom. It is also crucial whether other Twitch streamers are live at the same time.
Even if you stream every day, your stream would be influenced by these circumstances.
He further states that there is no “blueprint” for the profession of a Twitch streamer. If one aims for a long-term and sustainable career as a streamer, one should not be influenced by viewer numbers.
Self-reflection is the most important thing. That viewer numbers and especially money are not everything in life has also been experienced by Twitch streamer MontanaBlack, who talks about it in the podcast Henke’s Corner: MontanaBlack has achieved what many only dream of, but still thinks he has experienced too little in life
