Pokimane to step back from the “rat race” of Twitch streaming

Pokimane has confirmed she will be using Twitch less, and focusing her attention on other platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

In her Why I Took A Break + What’s Next For Me video, Imane “Pokimane” Anys said she initially took the month-long break because she was “feeling burnt out and tired of reading the same annoying comments.”

She goes on to say how she started streaming as a hobby when she was 17, and started doing it full-time when she was around 21. “I’m 26 now, so it’s been nine years of putting myself out there. It’s been a very fun ride, but I do also recognise that putting yourself out there so much, especially streaming, revolves around this constant feedback loop of people telling you what they think of you.”

She continued: “What I want for myself is the space to grow and evolve in the ways I want to change, not in the ways people want me to change or only in the ways that other people respond to. It’s really hard to do that when you’re glued to a screen for eight hours, reading comments about what people think about you.”

She then spoke about “coming to terms with my evolving content desires. My break really cemented within me this feeling I have [that I] want to do a lot more than just streaming,” she said, alongside a caption that said this is really hard for her to talk about.

“I’ve played almost every large, trendy game. I “I hope it doesn’t sound big-headed of me to say, but nowadays when I see things on Twitch, it kinda feels like ‘been there, done that.’ I just don’t want to participate in the rat race of streaming. I have this feeling people might be disappointed in hearing these things,” she added.

“When I wake up, I don’t want to run to my PC and game for eight-hours straight. I still love my gaming sessions here and there. It’s just not the same pace and frequency that I feel is expected as a full-time streamer. There’s such a pressure on streamers to follow every trend, to capitalise on viewership, to stream longer than the guy next to them,” Pokimane explained. “It’s just a hyper-competitive industry. But ultimately, the reason I say this is because I’m just at a point in my life that it doesn’t feel creatively fulfilling to feed into that anymore.”

i can’t believe how many creators DM’d me saying this resonated with them.. it means a lot & i hope you all prioritize happiness and balance in your lives ❤️

— pokimane 🤍 (@pokimanelol) September 2, 2022

She goes on to say she still wanted streaming to be “part of her arsenal” but she just doesn’t want to feel the “pressures” that come with being a full-time streamer.

Talking about the fact she’s already diversified her output, Pokimane said: “I still feel like there’s this pressure that people put on me, I put on myself, that companies put on me, that contracts put on me, that make me feel like Twitch has to be my bread and butter. That streaming and gaming is something I have to do. I wanted to talk about it so I could mentally remove that pressure, and feel free to make whatever content I want to make.”

“I’ve just been enjoying my time exploring other platforms,” she continued. “I feel like other platforms fit into my lifestyle a little better”

“Also, I have the highest female demo on platforms like TikTok, and it’s been so nice to connect to people over things that aren’t just gaming.” She finished by saying “my heart yearns for more, and to explore more.”

taking time off ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jwmizB26Xx

— pokimane 🤍 (@pokimanelol) July 19, 2022

Back in January, Pokimane was the subject of a “sexist” hate raid and went on to speak out about the double standards viewers have when it comes to “attractive” female streamers.

In June, she spoke about how “simp” hate reinforces sexism and misogyny on Twitch before taking a “mental reset” streaming hiatus.

Earlier this month, Twitch changed its partner agreement to allow streamers more flexibility over which rival platforms they could use.

Pokimane has confirmed she will be using Twitch less, and focusing her attention on other platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

In her Why I Took A Break + What’s Next For Me video, Imane “Pokimane” Anys said she initially took the month-long break because she was “feeling burnt out and tired of reading the same annoying comments.”

She goes on to say how she started streaming as a hobby when she was 17, and started doing it full-time when she was around 21. “I’m 26 now, so it’s been nine years of putting myself out there. It’s been a very fun ride, but I do also recognise that putting yourself out there so much, especially streaming, revolves around this constant feedback loop of people telling you what they think of you.”

She continued: “What I want for myself is the space to grow and evolve in the ways I want to change, not in the ways people want me to change or only in the ways that other people respond to. It’s really hard to do that when you’re glued to a screen for eight hours, reading comments about what people think about you.”

She then spoke about “coming to terms with my evolving content desires. My break really cemented within me this feeling I have [that I] want to do a lot more than just streaming,” she said, alongside a caption that said this is really hard for her to talk about.

“I’ve played almost every large, trendy game. I “I hope it doesn’t sound big-headed of me to say, but nowadays when I see things on Twitch, it kinda feels like ‘been there, done that.’ I just don’t want to participate in the rat race of streaming. I have this feeling people might be disappointed in hearing these things,” she added.

“When I wake up, I don’t want to run to my PC and game for eight-hours straight. I still love my gaming sessions here and there. It’s just not the same pace and frequency that I feel is expected as a full-time streamer. There’s such a pressure on streamers to follow every trend, to capitalise on viewership, to stream longer than the guy next to them,” Pokimane explained. “It’s just a hyper-competitive industry. But ultimately, the reason I say this is because I’m just at a point in my life that it doesn’t feel creatively fulfilling to feed into that anymore.”

i can’t believe how many creators DM’d me saying this resonated with them.. it means a lot & i hope you all prioritize happiness and balance in your lives ❤️

— pokimane 🤍 (@pokimanelol) September 2, 2022

She goes on to say she still wanted streaming to be “part of her arsenal” but she just doesn’t want to feel the “pressures” that come with being a full-time streamer.

Talking about the fact she’s already diversified her output, Pokimane said: “I still feel like there’s this pressure that people put on me, I put on myself, that companies put on me, that contracts put on me, that make me feel like Twitch has to be my bread and butter. That streaming and gaming is something I have to do. I wanted to talk about it so I could mentally remove that pressure, and feel free to make whatever content I want to make.”

“I’ve just been enjoying my time exploring other platforms,” she continued. “I feel like other platforms fit into my lifestyle a little better”

“Also, I have the highest female demo on platforms like TikTok, and it’s been so nice to connect to people over things that aren’t just gaming.” She finished by saying “my heart yearns for more, and to explore more.”

taking time off ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jwmizB26Xx

— pokimane 🤍 (@pokimanelol) July 19, 2022

Back in January, Pokimane was the subject of a “sexist” hate raid and went on to speak out about the double standards viewers have when it comes to “attractive” female streamers.

In June, she spoke about how “simp” hate reinforces sexism and misogyny on Twitch before taking a “mental reset” streaming hiatus.

Earlier this month, Twitch changed its partner agreement to allow streamers more flexibility over which rival platforms they could use.