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Shroud explains decision to move to Mixer, Ninja reacts

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25th October 2019 6:55 AM ET
Twitch streamer Shroud on Mixer
Twitch streamer Shroud is moving to Mixer. Pic credit: @Shroud/Twitter

Twitch streamer Shroud (whose real name is Michael Grzesiek) caused a shock in the gaming world when he announced yesterday that he was moving from Amazon’s Twitch to Microsoft’s streaming platform Mixer and that he would be streaming exclusively on the platform.

Shroud made the announcement in a video he posted to Twitter just before midday on October 24. The video, captioned “Same shroud, New home,” showed him streaming with a Mixer logo displayed his on monitors.

Mixer also took to Twitter to welcome the former Twitch superstar to their platform.

Shroud’s page on Mixer is now live (see embedded stream below). The page initially featured a countdown that indicated he would go live at 8 p.m. EST. The page features a subscribe button and fans are currently allowed to subscribe to the page for free on a limited time offer that will last the streamer’s first month on Mixer.

Shroud’s move from Twitch to Mixer comes shortly after Ninja (Tyler Blevins), another top former Twitch streamer, moved to Mixer after securing an exclusive deal with Microsoft. Ninja’s announcement on August 1, 2019, that he was moving from Twitch for Mixer caused shock and sparked speculation about who would be next.

Ninja and Shroud ranked among the top 10 Twitch streamers, so their decision to move to Mixer is a huge loss for Twitch. Shroud, for instance, had more than 7 million followers on Twitch.

Following Ninja’s move to Mixer, there was a mass exodus of his followers from his Twitch channel to his new channel on Mixer. Shroud’s move could also trigger a similar mass exodus of his fans and followers.

Ninja’s departure to Mixer was followed by controversy after he accused Twitch of using his dormant page to promote other streams, including a stream that featured NSFW content. The incident led to a backlash against Twitch and the platform’s CEO Emmett Shear was forced to issue an apology.

Shroud explains his decision

During his first broadcast on Mixer, Shroud explained why he decided to follow in the footsteps of Ninja (Tyler Blevins), and said he was convinced that the move was the right choice for his career.

“I wasn’t nervous about the move, but I was nervous about being here for the first day,” he said. “After the first day, I’m chilling, but I just knew hundred percent this is it. This is my decision, this is the best decision, and I am doing it.”

He also told fans who just subscribed to his Twitch channel that they can take advantage of the limited time offer of free subscription on Mixer.

Ninja and other Twitch streamers react

Meanwhile, Ninja has reacted to the news of Shroud’s move to Mixer. He posted a comment on Twitter describing the move as a massive event for the streaming industry.

Reactions also came from other top Twitch streamers, such as Asmongold, TimTheTatman, and Jordan ‘n0thing’ Gilbert.

Other Twitter users have also been reacting to the news.

Some speculated that Shroud’s announcement was timed to coincide with the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which was released shortly after Shroud went live on Mixer. Shroud’s Mixer channel streamed the new game for hours after it went live late yesterday.