#Top5OnTwitch for 8/31 Through 9/6
Which games are rising on the Twitch charts? Which streamers are dominating the most popular titles? Check out our official rankings!
Note: The following rankings are based on a combination of both gross and percentage change to viewership and total streams. As such, dominant and stable titles near the top of the charts will not always, or often, appear.
Graphs for Top Rising titles show previous two weeks for context.
Top 5 Rising
1. Monster Hunter World
Increase Viewership: 2,739,805 Hours (356.73%)
Increase Channels: 4190 Creators (67.19%)
Iceborne, a full-blown expansion to Capcom’s expansive 2018 action role-playing title was released on the final day of our rating’s period, and in that brief period saw such substantial growth, both relative to its previous position on Twitch and overall, that it takes the top spot on our list of rising titles in streaming.
This is a big indicator of success for the expansion. No further expansions are planned for the game, as Iceborne’s narrative completes the story, so while further small, free updates can be expected, this is likely the largest bump the game will receive in terms of Twitch viewership for the remainder of its lifespan, outside of the game being picked up by one of the platform’s top creators for a significant period. Still, more than a year after first being released, it finds itself bringing in large amounts of new viewership and pulling creators back to the game in significant numbers. The model of substantial expansions released after long-development cycles is falling out of favor in the face of live-service titles and frequent updates, but Capcom continues to demonstrate the former can still be used to great success when deployed for the right title.
2. Green Hell
Increase Viewership: 1,117,333 Hours (32319.52%)
Increase Channels: 1101 Creators (769.93%)
Green Hell, an open world survival simulator featuring a deadly jungle and real-world-inspired survival tactics, has been available in early access on Steam since August of last year, and this past week saw its first complete build release on September 5th. The ‘1.0’ version of the game sees the addition of the title’s story mode, as well as new difficulties, plants and animals, terrain, and other updates, and all of these new features pulled in a significant amount of new Twitch viewership.
After having a very small footprint in the days leading up to the new version, the game exploded in popularity, in no small part thanks to the participation of some larger creators with more substantial audiences. Alanzoka’s audience watched him play the game for more than a combined 100,000 hours, and six other notable streamers managed to accrue at least 50,000 total hours of viewership. What’s additionally promising is that all of these top creators streamed the game at least twice, indicating they might be interested in playing it further. Green Hell is in many ways reminiscent of The Forest, and in terms of Twitch viewership that’s a very good thing. The latter title maintained a presence, of some sort, on the platform from its early access days all the way through to even today, to an extent, because it nailed that repeatable game-play loop that remains satisfying and engaging for both player and viewer. If Green Hell can maintain this momentum with consistent updates, it could enjoy a similar lifespan.
3. Final Fantasy VIII
Increase Viewership: 279,166 Hours (2550.91%)
Increase Channels: 2333 Creators (2083.03%)
Final Fantasy VII is considered, by many, to be one of the most underappreciated entries in the long-running RPG franchise, situated as it was between the much beloved and lauded Final Fantasies VII and IX. This has also had the effect of making its fans some of the most vocal, and as remasters of classic titles have become increasingly popular, they have been loudly clamoring for the title to receive the same treatment and receive a 21st century overhaul. This past E3, they finally got their wish as Final Fantasy VIII Remastered was announced for a September 3rd release, which of course took place over this past week.
Its audience may be niche -- traditional JRPGs are not released in the west as often as they used to -- but it’s clear that the genre’s streaming community was ready to receive this update with open arms, and as we consider remasters to be returning titles, as opposed to new releases, the explosion of new attention on Twitch was enough to land it a top spot in our list of rising titles on the platform.
This is just the latest example, and the first of three in these rankings, of how much impact these trending remastered editions of existing titles can have on the streaming landscape, bringing new life to each title’s online community. The appetite for these games is very real, and it extends beyond simply players to the streaming audience. For further evidence, just look to our next title...
4. Catherine / Catherine: Full Body
Increase Viewership: 320,297 Hours (3778.36%)
Increase Channels: 1446 Creators (1643.18%)
Catherine was first released back in 2011, and in the time since had already been updated for the current generation of consoles and PCs. A puzzle-platformer built around a story of relationships and infidelity has always stuck out as a unique title, and it finds becoming relevant once again with the release of a brand new update of the title, envisioned by creator and director Katsura Hashino as the definitive version of the game, entitled Catherine: Full Body.
The fact that this re-release also features brand new content acts as an additional incentive for returning players to pick up the already replayable title, in addition to those taking advantage of the opportunity to play it for the first time. It’s viewership was well distributed across a large number of channels, with only three of the over 1400 creators streaming the title accruing more than 10,000 hours of viewership, which means that this rise hasn’t been reliant on a small number of large-audience channels. This isn’t a live-service or competitive title, so that won’t mean a longer shelf-life, but it makes it all the more impressive that it finds itself amongst this month’s top rising titles.
5. Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Increase Viewership: 102,773 Hours (1478.57%)
Increase Channels: 2298 Creators (454.84%)
The final game in this week’s top five, and the third to be reinvigorated by a rerelease, the remastered collection of the classic Spyro titles was unleashed on the Nintendo Switch and PCs on September 3rd, and it was welcomed by a substantial audience of streamers waiting to share it with their viewers. Streaming on consoles has, of course, become much simpler over the past few years, in particular, but the premier platform for sharing your gameplay on Twitch is still the PC, so being able to release on that platform has given the game a real boost, with more players this past week than at any time since November 23rd of last year.
Top 5 New Releases
1. NBA 2K20
Total Viewership: 1,868,002 Hours, 20th Overall
Total Channels: 18,668 Creators, 18th Overall
This year's iteration of NBA 2K was officially released on September 5th, and the vaunted sports series immediately rocketed up the Twitch charts, accruing nearly 20,000 streamers and becoming the fastest rising new title on the platform for the week.
For years, sports titles have been increasingly leaning in to "Ultimate Team" modes, wherein players build teams from randomized card packs, and it's had a large impact on how these games are streamed. Opening packs, building your team, and then competing against other players creates an effective content loop wherein viewers can be there alongside the player for every step, for the excitement of opening new card packs, the strategy of choosing between players, and the competition of the games themselves. 2K20 absolutely follows in this tradition, and the result has been enough viewership in just its first two days to become the fastest growing new title on Twitch.
2. Gears 5
Total Viewership: 1,571,474, 24th Overall
Total Channels: 19,127 Creators, 16th Overall
The long awaited next entry in the long-running Gears of War franchise finally hit physical and digital shelves on September 3rd, and with its nearly 20,000 participating streamers, it solidly finds itself in the number two spot of this week's rankings. After waiting three years since the last title in the series, fans were clearly anxious to get their hands on the new game, including top-performing streamers like AdmiralBahroo and GoldGlove.
Focused on a linear narrative and featuring primarily single-player gameplay, Gears 5 isn't the sort of title that dominates the Twitch charts for weeks or months on end. As we've frequently discussed in these rankings, streamers tend to play these games through once, so the story can be enjoyed alongside their audience, before moving on to something new. That's what makes the debut, the first few days and weeks, so important for a title like this on Twitch, and it's very encouraging to see just how large the game's streaming community has been from the very beginning. The Gears of War IP is still powerful and valuable, even in this world of "live-service" titles, and that's why it was one of the fastest rising new titles of the week.
3. Children of Morta
Total Viewership: 283,381 Hours, 76th Overall
Total Channels: 1157 Creators, 180th Overall
Officially released on September 3rd, Children of Morta is a rogue-lite action RPG focused on delivering an affecting story about eldrich horrors and a monster-hunting family. With its randomized dungeons and combat reminiscent of both Diablo and The Binding of Isaac, it has the sort of always different, high-difficulty appeal that those aforementioned games have successfully used to remain relevant in the streaming space for years and years, which is why it's not surprising to see it viewed in such large numbers.
Story, though, is a very large part of Children of Morta, with new scenes between characters or information about the dark history of the game's world serving as the main incentive to keep grinding through, and while that's part of what makes the title unique, it also might limit how long the title can remain at the top of the Twitch charts, as, like other story-driven titles, the appeal might disappear once that narrative has reached its conclusion. That being said, this is still an enormously successful launch for the indie title, making it one of the most trending new titles on Twitch.
4. River City Girls
Total Viewership: 76,986 Hours, 176th Overall
Total Channels: 789 Creators, 239th Overall
River City Girls is a side-scrolling beat 'em up inspired by, of course, River City Ransom, even featuring cameos from characters featured in the original classic, and it was released on September 5th. With pixel art and anime-style cutscenes, the frenetic and colorful game oozes indie-charm, which no doubt played a big part in making it one of the fastest growing new titles on Twitch.
Variety streamers are always looking for something new and exciting to show off for their audience, and games like River City Girls serve as excellent material to fill that niche. It may not have the breadth of content or long lifespan of live-service or competitive titles, but it's immediate and fun, with great music and an easy-to-digest gameplay loop. We don't see games like this rise up the ranks after their initial surge very often, but still, this has been an excellent debut for the smaller game from WayForward and ARC System Works.
5. Plants Vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville
Total Viewership: 68,800 Hours, 193rd Overall
Total Channels: 1587 Creators, 137th Overall
Popcap Games and Electronic Arts revealed the Founders Edition of the latest entry in the Plants vs. Zombies series on September 4th, with it serving as a sort of early-access period before the game's official wide launch on October 17th, and the participation of big-time creator Alanzoka was enough to land it the final spot in this week's top five, alongside its nearly 1600 additional participating streamers. The new game features the traditional competitive PvP modes the series is known for, alongside PvE "free-roam regions" and a large amount of character customization.
This release schedule is an interesting choice for the team behind Plants vs Zombies. Limited early-access periods like this one are valuable for online live-service titles as they let the development teams stress-test their servers and manage the inevitable issues without too many players being impacted, but it also dilutes the impact and hype of the game's release across a longer release window. This might be why, even though this series is consistently well represented on Twitch, this entry is off to a bit of a slow start. But, of course, this could be by design, and as we continue through the next few weeks, the steady stream of new content might gradually grow the game's player-base and audience. That will absolutely be something we keep an eye on, but for now, it's worth celebrating the success the game had in its opening week, taking the final spot in this week's Top 5.
Top 5 Overall By Viewership
1. World Of Warcraft
Total Viewership: 43,864,589 Hours (+3.00%)
Total Channels: 89,208 Creators (2.32%)
Top 5 Channels Overall By Viewership
1. Asmongold - 4.1 Million Hours
2. Sodapoppin - 1.9 Million Hours
3. Shroud - 1.5 Million Hours
4. Method - 1.3 Million Hours
5. EsfandTV - 1 Million Hours
2. League of Legends
Total Viewership: 28,404,374 Hours (+53.44%)
Total Channels: 96,610 Creators (+13.89%)
Top 5 Channels Overall By Viewership
1. Riot Games - 1.4 Million Hours
2. LCK Korea - 892,000 Hours
3. TFBlade - 777,000 Hours
4. Sardouche - 676,000 Hours
5. Lol_ambition (앰비션_) - 585,000 Hours
3. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Total Viewership: 20,691,088 Hours (+9.52%)
Total Channels: 71,132 Creators (+17.40%)
Top 5 Channels Overall By Viewership
1. Starladder CS En - 5.6 Million Hours
2. StarLadder5 - 2.4 Million Hours
3. Gaules - 1.6 Million Hours
4. Starladder CS En 2 - 456,000 Hours
5. IzakOOO - 444,000 Hours
4. Fortnite
Total Viewership: 20,509,299 Hours (+19.42%)
Total Channels: 272,864 Creators (+5.88%)
Top 5 Channels Overall By Viewership
1. Tfue - 1.9 Million Hours
2. NickEh30 - 827,000 Hours
3. NICKMERCS - 787,000 Hours
4. Bugha - 626,000 Hours
5. Mrfreshasian - 423,000 Hours
5. Grand Theft Auto V/Online
Total Viewership: 14,426,578 Hours (+8.03%)
Total Channels: 71,497 Creators (+8.82%)
Top 5 Channels Overall By Viewership
1. Simmit1g -1.3 Million Hours
2. Lord Kebun - 588,000 Hours
3. Vader - 413,000 Hours
4. JLTomy - 242,000 Hours
5. Kyle - 214,000 Hours
For a complete breakdown of the most watched esports on Twitch in the month of August, click here, and he sure to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for all the latest blogs, announcements, and game marketing news from the team at GAMESIGHT!