Gaming
Games
Top streamers reveal their favourite community moments
Jukeyz and Zizaran shine a light on the superfans who've helped them on their way, while up-and-comer Sweebey shares what support from bigger names means to those still building an audience.
Whoever your favourite streamer is, it's a given that you watch them for more than just their world-class gameplay.
Elite streamers cultivate, engage and bond with their audiences, creating digital campfires which we can can all come around to keep warm. It works both ways, too, with even the most talented streamers benefitting from loyal support and relationships forged over time.
Streaming is now a vital part of gaming culture
© Fabio Piva / Red Bull Content Pool
Two streamers who know this all too well are Belfast-based Kjetil 'Zizaran', and Liverpool's Liam 'Jukeyz' James, who surely deserves the Call of Duty equivalent of the purple heart medal for his continued exploits on 'Warzone'.
This winter we're giving wiiings to UK gamers, whether you're playing or creating content. Take our gaming quiz at redbull.co.uk/gaming for the chance to claim cans of Red Bull.
Despite a combined audience of half a million people, each of them knows their audience intimately. Here, the pair shine a light on the superfans who've helped them through thick and thin, and why they just couldn't do what they do without them...
The first time somebody donated to my stream was crazy
01
Zizaran
Can you remember the first time a subscriber or fan made your day?
"When I started streaming, I went full time. It was going fairly well until I struggled to pay rent. I didn't share this fact publicly until much later, but Seoreh2121 and TrueKryptonic each donated $1000+ to support the stream, which helped until I was earning enough from streaming that I didn't have to worry about rent."
Have there been other moments when the community has made your day?
"This is a fairly regular thing. Very often if I've had a bad start to a day or not been feeling great going live, to have so many people tune in just to specifically see you is an amazing feeling. They make my day."
Who are your favourite streamers and why?
"There are many amazing streamers on the platform. My favourites would be Annemunition for her community and chill atmosphere, Cohhcarnage for great laughs while watching various games, and Devin Nash for his insane contributions to the business side of streaming."
Does the feelgood nature of being connected to a community make you want to stream for longer?
"Yes, streaming is absolutely addictive, at least for me. It’s a very progress-based profession where you see how many hours you put in directly reflecting your reward. This isn't always the same as in other jobs because sometimes you may not get a promotion no matter how much you work."
Is it hard taking a day off?
"Streaming is similar to having a bricks and mortar shop, which my mom did, and she helped me a lot. You completely rely on yourself and taking days off is very, very scary. Several of your core audience might make a habit of watching others, you also actively lose followers on days off. In that way, you're very much encouraged to not take time off. Soon, I will be taking my first week off streaming in six years for the birth of my son."
But you've enjoyed the ride so far?
"Streaming is the easiest job in the world, but one that you have to work insanely hard at. It's so competitive. You need to stay relevant and keep reinventing. For me, it's the dream job and what I've always wanted. There are very few jobs that come without any stress or issues, but, for me, nothing is more perfect than streaming."
I'm lucky that my community are like a family to me
02
Jukeyz
Which of your early followers inspired you?
"The first time somebody donated to my stream was crazy. His name is Dabeale, that was the craziest moment. I'm lucky that my community are like a family to me, almost every day there’s good stuff being said and vibes with the chat."
What was the moment that changed it all on Twitch?
"When I won Syndicate Sundays, the first-ever major tournament hosted on Warzone, my team were massive underdogs. Everyone else seemed to have pros on their team. We basically did the impossible. Anyway, Tom Syndicate was watching me, and everyone was watching him, so a lot of people started supporting me after that moment. My stream had been doing pretty good until then but that was the kick start and from then onwards it was crazy."
That must have felt good…
"I was doubting myself the whole way through the tournament, but suddenly I had thousands of people on chat saying this kid's the best. I just rode the wave."
And now you're also known for raiding the streams of lesser known players. Is that to give something back?
"Raids are about giving something back, yeah, as it’s something that made me happy in the past. It’s how people carry themselves as well, whether that's someone with a handful of followers or someone as well-known as Aydan — I love how he is as a COD player and a person."
We spoke to one of the streamers you raided: Sweebey. He told us you've doubled his viewership...
"That’s nice isn’t it? That’s the main goal when I do raid them, so it's great to hear he’s averaging more viewers now. I could tell he was a cool lad. I gravitate towards people who carry themselves well. Because what makes a good streamer is being yourself."
03
Sweebey
How did it feel when Jukeyz raided your stream?
"To be honest, I couldn’t believe it when I got the alert on my Twitch. I was sitting on my average of about 3 or 4 viewers and all of a sudden I’ve got 1,000 people watching me. It’s given me massive exposure and confidence, my streams now average around 10-20 viewers depending on when I stream. Those are crazy numbers for me. Hearing some of the things Liam had to say about my gameplay really pushed me to grind and improve and hopefully I can be up there with the best of them."
What makes him such a good streamer?
"What appeals most for players like that is world class gameplay, but to go along with that he’s got such a good community that he’s always interacting with. It’s just always a good time in his streams, his community showed me nothing but love and continue to do so to this day, which speaks volumes."
Well, hopefully you too will be paying it forward in the future...
"I can’t thank Liam enough for the opportunity. It doesn’t get enough recognition as to how much it helps us smaller streamers and him giving back to the community just goes to show what type of person he is."
