Marcel “MontanaBlack” Eris (34) has been active on Twitch for nearly 10 years and was long the most successful German streamer. However, the development of the platform in recent years clearly does not suit him, which is why he expressed his disdain for untalented newcomers. After criticism from his own fans, he is now downplaying his statements.
What statements is he referring to? In a video on February 1, MontanaBlack spoke quite derogatorily about new streamers. He said they are irrelevant, have no talent, and make him feel disgusted. He even received criticism from his own fans:
Shortly thereafter, the streamer somewhat softened his statements: He had gotten quite worked up, and of course, not all Twitch newcomers were meant. However, he would continue to offend those who “only smell the quick buck.”
The market is flooded with the wrong Twitch streamers
Who did MontanaBlack mean? For the streamer, there are two types of newcomers, one he “feels” and the other he does not:
- Those who are “here out of passion and love for the hobby.” He would, of course, celebrate them.
- But then there are those who are just after quick money, without talent and without enthusiasm. Only those were meant, and he would continue to offend them, MontanaBlack said.
What bothers him about these newcomers? Apparently, MontanaBlack is not only concerned that he personally dislikes the content of certain streamers. Rather, he thinks about the talented newcomers: Because they have a significantly harder time being discovered and getting off the ground in the flood of new streamers.
Content creators who are only after money make it harder for sincere streamers to succeed.
“I started just the same”
Does he have something nice to say? It sounds quite different when MontanaBlack talks about the first group of newcomers. In the passionate streamers, the 34-year-old seems to see a part of himself:
Just to clarify: I would never insult any new streamers who have talent and say: “You are all irrelevant.” On the contrary, I started just the same.
What does MontanaBlack mean by talent? For the streamer, a single talent counts on Twitch: You must be able to entertain people, and that is extremely difficult. Great quality or outstanding gameplay is rather secondary.
What tips does he have for newcomers: Streamers need to manage to engage their viewers and create interest when they tell something. Just sitting there and saying nothing is of no use.
Furthermore, he warns against short-lived trends: Fortnite was huge, people even took out loans and bought expensive luxury cars. But when the hype was over, they had to realize that no one had cared about them as a person; people only wanted to see their gameplay.
No one understands the cult of personality around MontanaBlack less than he does
What is it like for MontanaBlack himself? The 34-year-old takes the opportunity to reflect on his own success. Because unlike some Fortnite streamers, the hype around MontanaBlack actually revolved around him – something he never really understood.
The people do not care what games he plays or how good he is at the games, says the streamer. A hype around a person on the internet will probably never happen again, he says, perhaps referring to the crowds that followed him at gamescom 2022.
Does MontanaBlack also see other streamers positively? Yes, especially the 25-year-old Elias “EliasN97” Nerlich, who himself belongs to the newcomers but has pushed MontanaBlack off the Twitch throne within 2 years.
He suspects that he will maintain the hype, the 34-year-old says, as he has the strength and energy. He wants to see such people on the platform, which makes him and everyone else happy. MontanaBlack has no thoughts of competition there.
You can watch the entire video here:
Alone at the top
What does MontanaBlack think about not being number 1 anymore? This seems to bother him less than some of his viewers might have expected. Instead, he analyzes the success of the younger newcomer quite pragmatically and without envy.
EliasN97, who started as a content creator for FIFA, simply has had a good target audience with the “football stuff”: Every boy would love that and thus also the content of the streamer. MontanaBlack is happy about the success of the Berliner:
Many always think Elias and I have such a competitive behavior or something. But that is not the case at all, I am happy. It was really boring being alone at the top for years.
However, MontanaBlack also explains that, unlike EliasN97, he simply does not stream as much. For him, that is completely sufficient. The 34-year-old says he has streamed regularly for many years, taking his first voluntary break – that is, not a ban – when his then-girlfriend left him on Valentine’s Day.
The focus of the streamer has simply changed: joint projects with his Twitch colleague Elotrix, IRL streams outside his darkened gaming room, or his own show on Joyn.
One must always reinvent oneself; one cannot do “the same nonsense” for 10 years. Success proves him right, because when MontanaBlack is on air, an average of 25,000 people still watch him at the same time (via sullygnome).
The “good newcomer” EliasN97 has also seen MontanaBlack’s rectification and shared his own thoughts on success on Twitch. The Berliner admits that he did not start streaming out of passion; that came later:
The biggest German streamer says he enjoys Twitch – but only if the money is right
