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American streamer IShowSpeed is making a highly anticipated return to Twitch after a four-year absence. His new IRL (In Real Life) tour across Europe kicks off on July 7, 2025, and will be streamed live on both Twitch and YouTube. The promotional materials hint at stops in at least 14 countries, including Spain, France, Poland, Turkey, and Greece, marking his first Twitch appearance since 2021. IShowSpeed was previously banned by Twitch in December 2021 due to inappropriate conduct, but his channel was unbanned in 2023, though his primary audience had already shifted to YouTube[5].

This summer, Twitch is also hosting its annual Summer Drops Fest from June 26 to July 20, 2025. The event features exclusive in-game rewards for viewers who watch eligible streams in popular game categories such as The FINALS, Warframe (during TennoCon), World of Warcraft, and Arena Breakout Infinite. Twitch is collaborating with game developers for special drops, including the “Broadcast Blaze” skin and an exclusive Twitch Backpack. Only newly purchased or gifted subscriptions count towards ‘Support a Streamer’ campaigns; Prime subscriptions and recurring renewals are ineligible[1].

At TwitchCon Rotterdam 2025, the platform announced significant upgrades aimed at improving the streamer and viewer experience. Key updates include dual-format and 2K streaming in Open Beta, new toolsets for audience growth and monetization, custom sub gift promotions, and a new interactive “Combos” feature. There are also substantial enhancements for the Twitch mobile app, particularly targeting the growing audience in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. CEO Dan Clancy underscored Twitch’s stronghold in the livestreaming space, noting that MENA viewers alone spent more than 209 million hours watching on Twitch in 2024[6].

Twitch has also implemented several platform-wide updates in 2025. One major change is the introduction of picture-in-picture ad formats, allowing viewers to continue watching streams while ads play alongside, reducing interruptions to live content. Another update is a 100-hour storage limit for Highlights and Uploads, encouraging efficient content management. Additionally, Twitch has launched the “Treasure Train” feature, offering up to 35% discounts on Tier 1 subscription bundles, creating fresh incentives for viewers to support their favorite streamers[2].

Monetization tools have also seen significant expansion. Twitch now allows most streamers to access subscriptions and Bits from day one, rather than waiting to join the affiliate program. This change aims to help new and smaller creators monetize their content more quickly. However, some revenue features, like ad sharing, remain exclusive to partners and affiliates. These shifts are widely seen as strategic moves to maintain Twitch’s edge in the competitive livestreaming market[3][4].

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