Advances in technology make it easier than ever to earn a living doing what we love. Nowhere is that more apparent than in gaming, where millions of aspiring streamers work tirelessly to make an online income playing their favorite games.
Twitch, the streaming platform owned by Amazon, is a top choice for many would-be professional gamers. The platform boasts millions of weekly users and entices new streamers with low monetization thresholds.
To make the most of the gaming platform, you must choose the right Twitch categories for your brand.
Twitch’s Benefits
Twitch allows anyone to set up an account and stream their favorite games. The platform is one of the easiest to monetize, allowing affiliates to make money with as few as fifty followers, a massive difference from YouTube’s 1000 subscriber threshold.
Twitch offers a lot of great perks, like seamless integration with streaming software, space for multiple custom emojis, moderation roles, and bot integration.
Making Money on Twitch Not As Easy As It Seems
Despite lower requirements for monetizing on Twitch, making a living streaming isn’t easy. Many people struggle to meet even these low requirements to become a Twitch affiliate, and those who earn the title rarely make enough money streaming to cover even minor expenses.
Attracting viewers is crucial to monetizing Twitch. Viewers pay streamers by cheering with bits and subscribing to their favorite creators. They’re the backbone of every successful streamer.
But to attract those viewers, you need to stream in the Twitch categories that they’re watching.
Top Twitch Categories
Fortunately, we did the legwork for you, using sources like SullyGnome and TwitchMetrics to determine the top games based on peak viewership, watch time, and average viewership per streamer.
We also considered trending games vs Twitch categories that remain popular over time, as new games often shoot to the top, while fan favorites have lasting power.
Consistently Popular Streaming Categories
These Twitch categories have staying power. If you want to play the same game throughout your Twitch career, consider streaming in one of these categories that have topped the list for years.
Just Chatting
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Though “just chatting” isn’t a game, it consistently ranks among the most popular streaming categories.
The feature accounts for nearly every non-gaming activity you can imagine, so it’s no surprise that so many people tune in.
Streamers select “just chatting” to showcase their artistic talents, engineering skills, and culinary masterpieces. Some keep it simple, using the category to engage with their viewers and share their lives.
The category typically attracts more users than any single game. However, its broad nature likely accounts for much of that. Consider whether you want to create the type of content that’s popular on “just chatting” streams before diving in.
League of Legends
League of Legends stands proud as the top-viewed gaming category over the past year, and the only game that achieved a billion hours watched.
It also scored second three years ago when we first published this piece, highlighting its staying power.
League of Legends did drop in popularity over the past thirty or so days as some newer games hit the scene, but people always go back to it.
The multiplayer online battle arena game is a fan favorite and a streamer favorite, with an average of 420 concurrent live channels at any given time in the last thirty days.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V hit the shelves over a decade ago, but despite its age, it still ranks as one of the most popular streaming categories.
Over the past year, viewers watched over 900 million hours of car thefts and hijinks.
Establishing yourself as a GTA streamer now will also put you in a great position to play the sixth installment of the popular game when it’s finally released in 2026. I’m betting it will skyrocket to the top when it comes out.
Counter-Strike
The fourth installment of the first-person shooter series achieved a peak viewership of over 1.2 million last year, with the average viewership at a healthy 87,000.
Though there are a few popular English-language channels, Counter-Strike is more popular in Russia, with Russian-language broadcasts accounting for 41% of the views, while English streams account for just 17%.
Still, the top two English-language streamers both boasted over 30 million watch hours and peaked at around 250,000 viewers.
Valorant
The first-person shooter ranked fifth in most-watched streaming categories over the past 365 days, bringing in nearly 750 thousand viewers who watched for a combined 600 million hours.
Though Valorant dropped from the top five in the past 30 days due to the influx of new streaming categories, it’s been consistently popular for a five-year-old game. It ranks 10th in the past 30 days, and it’s creeping up in shorter timeframes, showing that people may jump to a shiny new game for a bit, but they’ll likely return to their beloved favorites.
More Top Games
Though we only focused on the top five, these 10 games also have staying power, and they’ve consistently ranked in the top 50 gaming categories for a number of years:
- Fortnite
- Minecraft
- Dota 2
- World of Warcraft
- Dead by Daylight
- Apex Legends
- Overwatch 2
- Rust
- Rocket League
- Call of Duty
Rising Star Twitch Categories
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New releases often soar to the top of streaming categories, but who knows whether they’ll have lasting star power?
If you’re a variety streamer or don’t mind hopping on trends, consider streaming in these categories.
Escape from Tarkov
Escape from Tarkov was released in November 2025 and quickly became a top streaming category. In the past 30 days, it skyrocketed to second place, with over 88 million watch hours and 380,000 peak viewers.
Will the hype last? Who knows, but if you want to play the trendiest new game, this is it.
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders came out at the end of October, and although it didn’t do quite as well as Escape from Tarkov, it was close. In the last 30 days, over 65 million viewers tuned in.
However, peak viewership was down by nearly 30%, showing that a lot of folks may have tuned in because it’s new. Still, the hours watched and average viewers are on the rise, so the game just might have some staying power.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
The latest installment of Call of Duty hit the shelves in November, and although it didn’t shine as brightly as the other two games, it still earned a healthy 25 million watch hours.
Call of Duty might be a good choice due to its staying power. The franchise features over 20 games, so you can jump in during a popular release and become a “Call of Duty” streamer, playing the newer games when they come out.
Where Winds Meet
The new action-adventure RPG was billed as Sony’s response to Nintendo’s epic Legend of Zelda releases (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom), so of course, everyone had to play.
It attracted 13 million viewers over the past 30 days, but it’s trending downward, highlighting that the trendy game might not be the best choice.
Don’t Rely Solely on Stats
Aspiring streamers often drool over the average viewers of the top games, hoping to get a hefty piece of the pie. However, it’s important to note that game choice isn’t the only metric that matters, and sometimes the stats can be misleading.
Many of these games are popular because of their personality behind them. Viewers watch because of the streamer rather than the game, making it a poor choice for newcomers. Some games, like League of Legends, are oversaturated, making it hard for new streamers to stand out.
Under-Saturated Game Categories Might Be Better
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New streamers should avoid the most popular Twitch categories. There are too many popular streamers taking up space at the top, and discoverability for folks with 0-3 viewers is nearly impossible.
Instead, choose a fun game without a lot of viewers. Fans are more likely to check out your channel when it’s one of 50 options available, and most only have a handful of viewers, than if it’s one of 10,000 options available, with the top streams boasting millions of fans.
Play Something You Love
The most important thing isn’t view count or popularity. It’s doing what you love.
I love action-adventure games like Zelda, so you’d never find me streaming a fight game like League of Legends or an FPS like Call of Duty. I don’t care that they attract the most viewers; I’d hate it, I’d be terrible at it, and the viewers can tell.
Play something you enjoy, even if it doesn’t have the largest viewer count. Your love of the game will shine through and help you attract the right audience.
Making a Living on Twitch Isn’t Easy, But It’s Achievable
Making money playing video games seems like a dream, but hundreds of people achieve it. With the right attitude, game, and marketing, you can turn your dream into a reality. You may not become the next Ninja, but you can make enough to earn some pocket money on the platform.
That’s more than enough for most of us.