Michael “shroud” Grzesiek is the second big streamer to switch from Twitch to Mixer after Ninja. He portrays his transition between streaming platforms with a cool clip but explains it only thinly. However, DrDisrespect speaks extensively about Mixer’s strategy and makes it clear why he will not follow shroud.
This was the move: The shooter streamer shroud announced his switch from Twitch to Mixer on Thursday night with an ironic Twitter clip.
The clip has now 7.2 million views and appears professionally staged. The clip is really cool.
The 50-second video has two dimensions:
- Once a bombastic shroud striding through a tunnel to epic music – The surroundings are darkened and shine blue-black. Everything is new, everything is exciting: like the walk of a modern gladiator into his arena
- his girlfriend, Hannah “bnans” Kennedy, then turns on the light. She stands in the living room with the cat in her arms and makes the kitten wave: It’s everyday life and no big deal
The message is clear: Nothing changes for Shroud. It’s the same shroud, just in a new environment.
What looks like a gigantic move from the outside is not a big deal for him. He sits at the same computer, the screen just shows a different layout.
Filming for the clip took 12 hours
This is how Shroud explains the switch: Calmly and casually, shroud explains the switch to his fans: It was the move he thought was best for his career. It’s that simple.
He was a bit nervous about how the first day would go. But all cool.
Shroud seemed a little startled during the first streams by how many were watching him on Mixer.
Shroud is not a man of many words, just that a team spent 12 hours building the tunnel in his living room and that there was someone who was solely responsible for the cat and checking its medical info – that seems to impress Shroud.
“Like Hollywood,” it was.
This is why Mixer is now acquiring shroud: They want to be relevant
This is what DrDisrespect says: Even though he doesn’t seem like it with his mustache and enormous volume, Guy “DrDisrespect” Beahm is probably one of the most seasoned businessmen on Twitch.
He says that even before Ninja and shroud, Mixer tried to poach him. But DrDisrespect declined.
According to DrDisrespect:
- Mixer says they have 30 million users – but that is only because every Xbox user automatically gets Mixer streams. The engagement is extremely low – in contrast to Twitch
- By acquiring top streamers like shroud and Ninja, they want to boost that engagement
Error: Microsoft is advertising on Twitch
- Mixer plans to become relevant and grow with a bit of Xbox streaming and some well-known influencers – but the plan is wrong
- Microsoft spends $300 million each year to advertise for Xbox and video games. They could save that money by building a strong live platform – but for now, they are even advertising on the Twitch platform
- Because compared to Mixer, Twitch is huge. There are millions of minutes that are constantly being watched, and those could be monetized for advertising.
So anyone asking: “Who will follow Shroud?” hasn’t done their homework.
The answer is: Nobody, nobody will follow shroud.
DrDisrespect wishes his friend shroud good luck. The man has been paid. Just like the guy with blue hair. But for himself, DrDisrespect seems to rule out the switch.
Ninja says: massive switch
Who sees it differently? Naturally, Tyler “Ninja” Blevins sees it a bit differently. Until then, he was the only “big and relevant” streamer on Mixer.
He says that shroud’s switch is “seriously a massive move for the platform and the streaming industry.”
Twitch has 750 million hours ahead – Shroud brings about 5 million with him
This is what’s behind it: The facts currently speak more for DrDisrespect.
In fact, Mixer is currently far behind Twitch in terms of “viewed hours” and has even fallen further back in market shares after Ninja’s switch.
Twitch’s lead in September 2019 (777.6 million hours) over Mixer (29.7 million hours) was so immense that even a shroud hardly counts.
In September 2019, Shroud achieved 5.3 million hours. (via sullygnome). At his absolute peak in February 2019, during the swing of Apex Legends, it was 15.5 million.
Such a switch can have an effect if more streamers switch as well. Alone, it will change little, even if the biggest streamers from one platform switch.
For top streamers, a switch is certainly attractive, as Microsoft offers them pleasant working conditions and bonuses through “free subscriptions.”
The streamers come to Mixer from the grind of “I always have to be online” and apparently have a more regular income through deals with Microsoft.
However, it can be doubted whether the switches of Ninja and shroud will really lead to a turning point. So far, these are isolated cases – also because the two probably have received particularly nice and financially lucrative conditions from Microsoft through free subscriptions.
