The Twitch streamer Emily “ExtraEmily” Zhang (28) is trying her hand at the latest TikTok trend in which content creators behave like NPCs and cash in significantly.
What is this trend? A new trend is currently making the rounds on TikTok, where female streamers behave like NPCs. Through the platform’s live feature, viewers can send them various gifts, which they can then cash out for real money from TikTok.
Each gift corresponds to a specific action. The TikToker “pinkydoll” went viral when she made popcorn with a straightener and repeatedly exclaimed phrases like “ice cream so good” or licked the screen.
The constant tone and repetitive movements remind one of NPCs, like those found in many games. Female streamers can earn up to $4,000 with such a stream (via Dexerto).
The streamer Matthew “Mizkif” Riaudo is known for hopping on every trend. However, instead of trying out the new trend himself, he decided this time to have his colleague Emily “ExtraEmily” Zhang do it. She is known for being up for any fun:
“Can I stop?”
How did it go for the streamer? In her first attempt, the 25-year-old holds up bravely, although she struggles visibly to keep up with the flood of gifts and to remain somewhat serious.
However, already after 3 minutes, she breaks character and exclaims, “Can we stop? Is that enough content?” After about 10 minutes, ExtraEmily throws in the towel and ends the stream.
She then has a discussion with Mizkif, who set her up for this and watched the spectacle live.
We have embedded a glimpse of the stream here:
How much did she earn? In front of Mizkif, ExtraEmily summarizes her first NPC stream: She had 2,100 viewers and received 50,000 likes. She also received 14,500 diamonds.
One TikTok diamond is worth 5 cents. However, half of it goes to TikTok. For her 14,500 diamonds, the streamer can cash out about $360 – not bad for 10 minutes of work.
How are the reactions? On Reddit, where the action was discussed in the streaming community r/LivestreamFail, the reactions are mixed.
- 2LJ3 is unimpressed: “The only NPCs are the people donating there.”
- Raa1n cannot believe it: “This shit is really disturbing.”
- For Jaskaran158, the case is clear: “TikTok was a mistake.”
- csprm977 thinks: “She is made for this trend.”
- goatnxtinline sees it similarly: “It’s shocking how much she is made for this trend.”
Even though some users praise how well the streamer fits the trend, it seems there will be no further NPC stream from ExtraEmily. When Mizkif asked her if it was worth it, the streamer replied curtly: “No.”
The live feature on TikTok has been criticized for some time, especially the so-called “battles.” Critics mockingly call the feature a “begging” feature, as it drains money from viewers’ pockets. German streamer MontanaBlack once earned over 4,000 euros with it:
