GTA 5 Claims The Top Spot On Twitch
"Grand Theft Auto 5" dethroned Just Chatting as the most viewed category on Twitch for April. According to Streams Charts, "GTA 5" peaked at an average of 420,000 concurrent viewers last month. This number shoots way past the number of people who tuned into Just Chatting streams, and lands at almost 100k viewers above the game's record from last month. In fact, viewership for "GTA 5" has only been on the rise since late last year.
"GTA 5" regularly floats around Twitch's top 5 most-watched games, next to titles like "League of Legends," "Fortnite," and "Valorant." This isn't the first time that "GTA 5" has claimed the top spot, but this situation is more of an exception rather than the norm. Just Chatting sits at the top for most months, unless some hot new trend disrupts the status quo. In this case, "GTA" roleplay may have been the push the game needed to take back the top seat.
Dexerto's Connor Bennett points out how the recent rise in "GTA" interest could be related to NoPixel 3.0. This exclusive "GTA" RP server has captured the attention of several streaming stars over the past few months. Sykkuno, Valkyrae, and Disguised Toast are only a few examples of streamers who have recently participated in GTA roleplays. Even Corpse Husband, who announced a hiatus from his own channel, hopped back online to play "GTA" with his friends. These popular streamers, along with their massive audiences, have immersed themselves in the new trend with gusto.
What is GTA roleplay?
"GTA" roleplay, like the term might suggest, challenges players to play the game as their own unique character. So, instead of just streaming with their usual personality, streamers can take on drastically different personas for fun. Sykkuno, who's typically known for his wholesome personality, apparently decided to play as a criminal hacker. Sykkuno credited xQc for inspiring those in the server, including himself, to play as the bad guys.
xQc stands as the most-watched Twitch streamer for "GTA 5," partly thanks to the RP boom. He has been banned from NoPixel for bad behavior (more than once), but that hasn't stopped him from streaming the game solo on his channel. According to the latest numbers from Streams Charts, he averages over 100,000 viewers per stream. AuronPlays, a popular Spanish streamer, rivals these numbers, though he doesn't appear to be closely associated with NoPixel.
Given how quickly trends come and go, "GTA 5" won't necessarily stay in the spotlight. But for now, the "GTA" RP community can certainly enjoy the spotlight as the views roll in.