Discoverability on Twitch needs to be improved. It’s hard to find new folks to follow amidst the chaos and the big streamers Twitch likes to support.
We all already know about Ninja, Shroud, and Syndicate, and although I’m sure they are lovely streamers, sometimes, we’d rather support the little guy. The problem is that it’s so hard to find fun new streamers to watch.
We’ve got you covered. Here are 19 up-and-coming Twitch streamers to follow, support, and engage with, updated for 2023.
One of them could very well be the next Ninja, and don’t you want to be there when it all started?
Table of Contents
What is Twitch?
Twitch is a platform that allows gamers, performers, and other content creators (artists, musicians, you name it!) to live stream on the internet. Anyone can become a streamer. It just takes a computer, an internet connection, and a few pieces of technical equipment.
Twitch is similar to Youtube and Tiktok, but most content is live and unedited. One great thing about live stream content is that you can interact with the creators in real time. The platform was built for gaming, but it’s expanded, and you can find all types of content on Twitch, from gaming to art, building keyboards to just chatting about life.
How Do I Support New Streamers?
Twitch makes it challenging to find up-and-coming streamers. There is no discoverability option, and Twitch likes promoting top streamers. An Amazon company through and through, their primary objective is making as much money as possible rather than supporting the little guy.
Fortunately, we don’t need to rely on the platform to find streamers to follow. Here are 19 streamers from various niches to check out, and below, you’ll find tips on discovering even more up-and-coming Twitch streamers to enjoy!
Read Next: How to Become a Twitch Affilite in 30 Days!
Top 19 Up and Coming Twitch Streamers to Follow (in no particular order)
Briikachu
Brianne is a casual streamer who loves to hang out and chat with her viewers. She mostly plays League of Legends (I usually catch her playing Syndra, but there are plenty of other League of Legends champions!) and Among Us, but she also enjoys viewer games.
You’ll typically find Brianne drinking boba and/or talking about food on her stream. The Briikachu stream often features her cat, Oreo, and you can spend your channel points on some feel-good Oreo Cam moments. Feel free to hang out, lurk, or join her Discord, The Brick Haus!
Follow Briikachu on Twitch!
BW Paco
BWpaco is a variety streamer with a keen focus on MOBAs ranging from Smite to League of Legends. He started streaming in 2013 on YouTube but migrated to Twitch in October 2020. His channels (YouTube and Twitch) are known as the Paco Taco Stand, and he refers to his subscribers as different forms of tacos.
Paco is a happy-go-lucky guy and entertainer at heart. His streams are always fun to watch, and he enjoys engaging and interacting with his viewers to ensure everyone is having a good time.
BWPaco’s favorite games are Multi-player Online Battle Arena (MOBA), such as League of Legends, but he also plays a variety of First Person Shooters (FPS), like Call of Duty and Splitgate. He’s a variety streamer, so you can also find him playing things like Apex Legends, Smite, and Rust.
Check BW Paco out on Twitch!
Hiimbeary
Beary (you can read her name as “Hi, I’m Beary!) streams whatever catches her fancy – art, MMOs, FPSes, RPGs, rhythm games, puzzle games, and on one rare occasion, building a custom keyboard.
Although she began streaming only sporadically, she found that she enjoyed engaging with viewers to discuss a range of topics, as well as showing off her unique “skills” at games, and now has a regular schedule in which she’s live four or five days a week.
The atmosphere of her stream has been described by viewers as cozy, which she’s proud of, and also probably belonging on some kind of government watchlist, which she wasn’t available to comment on.
In place of a face cam, she uses a PNGtuber of a feline-adjacent cryptid with approximately fifteen eyes all gazing soullessly into the void. It’s just a normal cat, though.
Check out Hiimbeary on Twitch!
Oehrchen
Oehrchen is a variety fox VTuber, who started streaming on Twitch in August 2020.
Even though the name and the mother tongue are German, the channel has quickly grown into an international community. Oehrchen has friends from all over the world, from Australia to Europe to the US. A bonus of this multi-national community is that non-native English speakers use the opportunity to improve their English and vice versa.
The channel’s primary goal is to have a good time, so the game does not matter much. You will see a diverse selection of real-time strategy games like Age of Empires and massive multiplayer online (MMO) games like Sea of Thieves, Guild Wars 2, and Deep Rock Galactic. Oehrchen also has a Youtube channel and plays VR games like Beatsaber on that platform.
A visit to the channel will showcase the variety and a mix of ongoing shenanigans. Hope to see you joining our Fluffy Kingdom soon.
Follow Oehrchen on Twitch!
A Bouncy Ferret
A Bouncy Ferret is a welcoming yet foul-mouthed female gamer who plays a variety of games. She mainly streams Hunt: Showdown, Hitman 2, and Greedfall but also hosts Community Game Nights featuring Splitgate, Halo, and DayZ. You will typically find a Bouncy Ferret streaming on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, but she occasionally mixes it up with a Wednesday night stream.
A Bouncy Ferret is the mother of two boys who are everything good in the world. Her husband also streams, and she describes him as “kind of the best and most supportive person you could ask for to be by your side.” Together, they make a dynamic duo of epic streamers, so it’s only fitting that the next streamer on the list is A Bouncy Ferret’s husband, The Young Beef.
Check out A Bouncy Ferret on Twitch!
The Young Beef
The Young Beef is a streamer originally from the UK but currently lives in the US. He is a variety streamer without any real leaning toward one genre. Most weeks are a mix of FPS, RPG, City Building, and Wrestling.
The Young Beef got into streaming during covid after losing his job and becoming a stay-at-home dad. Streaming became an excellent way for him to connect with other people without being face-to-face. He streams from late morning to early afternoon, and this schedule helped make the channel somewhere for people to hang out while they work from home. He’s honored that so many people spend their weekday mornings with him.
One cool feature of The Young Beef’s stream is his “CZ Wrasslin’” show, a wrestling simulation federation featuring several small streamers. He makes avatars of the streamers in the game and then broadcasts the matches between the small streamers on his channel. The weekly show is called “Thursday Morning Caffeine,” and it’s one of his favorite stream activities.
Visit The Young Beef on Twitch!
QuicksandGM
QuicksandGm started streaming in January of 2021 without prior experience with streaming tools, community building, or marketing. With the help of many people, he grew a community of absolute gems who keep coming back and averages over 30 viewers per stream!
His community is aptly named the Sandlot, a place for wholesome folks and misfits alike. QuicksandGM promotes an unfiltered community and attributes some of his success to creating a community where people can be themselves without any taboos.
QuicksandGM is a variety streamer to the core. There is nothing he will not do on stream. His streams have been about gaming, horror, just chatting, grocery shopping, construction, cooking, baking, art, and anything else he can think of. He hosts numerous events throughout the month that are outside of “standard streams.” He believes the variety helps keep the content fresh and definitely keeps people wondering what will come next!
Overall, the channel is more of a stand-up comedy and improv show than a gaming channel, but that variety is part of the success. You never know what to expect with a QuicksandGM stream, and that’s a massive part of the fun.
Become a part of the Sandlot on Twitch!
Diacrossery
Diacrossery claims to be shy, but you wouldn’t know that from watching her streams. She’s very personable and constantly engaging with her chat and her friends or fans on social media.
You can usually find her playing Genshin Impact, but she sometimes mixes it up with a different game like Monster Hunter. She also aspires to grow as a creator, and make a difference, someday.
Check Diacrossery out on Twitch!
Placid4u
Be careful about judging a book by its cover; don’t let the questionable name scare you off! Placcid4u is a fun streamer that promotes positive vibes and an atmosphere of fun. Placcid4U generally streams League of Legends, Dead by Daylight, and Stream Raiders but occasionally cooks on stream and will add more games to the rotation.
Visitors to the stream can expect random fun mixed with chill music and occasional collabs with other streamers. Placcid4U also enjoys engaging viewers in the stream, so there will be opportunities for viewers to play or discuss in-game strategies. He enjoys cooking, gaming, anime, Latin dancing, and science.
Placcid4U is autistic, an army veteran, a scientist, and a massage therapist, so he has a wide range of experiences in various subjects. Although he usually streams with the camera off due to PTSD, he sometimes makes exceptions for special occasions. His streams are incredibly welcoming, and his dedication to helping other streamers succeed is second to none.
Visit Placid4U on Twitch!
Joieoieoieo
Joieoieoieo (Joie for short) is a small streamer who focuses on connecting with her viewers. She is all about engaging with chat and making her stream a good time for all. She mainly plays PUB-G and Call of Duty; but also streams various party games, inviting her viewers to join in on the fun. Joie’s streams are 18+.
When she is not streaming, she is constantly supporting her fellow streamers and managing her Discord while wrangling her five energetic boys.
Check out Joieoieoieo on Twitch!
OMalley91
Omalley91 is a Norwegian streamer who generally focuses on Playstation 4 games. His favorite game to stream is Skyrim, and you can often find him playing that while chatting and engaging with his viewers.
OMalley91 is always in a good mood while streaming. His jovial attitude and chill vibes make his streams welcoming for new viewers and a joy for old friends. His cheerful happiness is contagious, and it’s impossible to be in a bad mood while watching Omalley91 stream.
Omally91 has been streaming for a little over two years, and his community is called the Dragonsquad, a reference to his much-beloved Skyrim. He started streaming because he was inspired by other streamers. He thought it looked fun and decided if they could do it, so could he.
Come check out the Dragonsquad on Twitch!
StarryEyes89
StarryEyes89 is such a fun streamer. She loves Disney and showcases that love within most streams with fun Mickey Mouse ears. My favorite thing about StarrEyes is how personable she is, making her streams more enjoyable than most. She doesn’t shy away from silly challenges, like singing or ASMR.
Watching Starryeyes stream is always a good time. She treats her chat like family and is always welcoming and engaging.
Visit StarryEyes89 on Twitch!
Vampricprincessty
Scarlet is a variety vampire Vtuber. She loves JRPGs, comfy, indie, and building-style games, but will try her hand at horror games when she is pulled in by a friend and sometimes alone. She loves to laugh and chat with her community.
Scarlet has started movie/anime/tv nights in her discord every other week. She likes to share her love of anime and movies with her. Also, the viewers love to use her channel points to hear her dog, Kaiba, howl for them and pay or not pay their blood tax.
Watch Vampricprincessty on Twitch!
OHRye
OHRye is an older gamer, husband, and father of 2 adorable kids. He considers himself a variety streamer and likes to play niche games only a few other people are streaming. That doesn’t stop him from occasionally playing big AAA titles.
OHRye’s “niche” is playing single-player games from start to finish, all on stream. He’s beaten over 40 games! As someone diagnosed with OCD, he is also a huge proponent of mental health wellness and awareness. He promotes inclusion, so everyone is welcome in the channel.
OHRye is very relaxed, and that’s the vibe you will find in his channel. He’s not over the top or a ball of energy, but he enjoys playing the games and enjoys the company of anyone who wants to come to the channel and hang out.
Check OHRye on Twitch!
Plaguebby
Plaguebby, who goes by Bby or Devi, has been streaming for about a year can’t imagine doing anything else! She started streaming for fun and had no idea how much the platform and community would come to mean to her.
Upon discovering streamers like Buffpup and Shylily, Plaguebby decided to become a Vtuber, feeling it would help her embrace her creativity and goofiness on stream. Her favorite game is Doom, and you’ll often find “doom guy” dancing in the corner of her streams.
As a variety streamer, Plaguebby enjoys playing silly gamers with her community, watching videos suggested by fans, and even making art as a channel redemption point. Her goal is to bring happiness to others and make her viewers smile, which she often does with her trademark goodnight smooch before signing off.
Watch Plaguebby on Twitch!
Cagematic
Bro, if you’ve ever wanted a positive experience and want to leave feeling even better than when you came, Cage is the streamer for you. He is a variety streamer and brositivity enthusiast. He loves giving bro fives as well as a hug if need be. Kind, caring, and chiller than a tray of ice cubes, Cagematic will provide you with all your dancing, gaming, and dad joke needs. As you can tell, the keyword in Cagematic’s stream is “bro,” and he treats everyone like they are his brother.
Cagematic typically streams RPG fantasy, strategy, and survival games. He loves World of Warcraft, Day Z, and Subnautica. Sometimes he smokes stogies, and sometimes Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a surprise appearance, but you are always guaranteed to have a brotastic time.
Join the Bro Squad on Twitch!
WhaleWhyNot
WhaleWhyNot is a variety streamer that loves playing all types of games, from cozy story games to first-person shooters. She strives to create a safe space for those who join and always offers laughs and smiles.
Whalewhynot wants gaming to be fun and would rather have a great time than worry about being an expert. She advocates for chronic illness and mental health and uses her streams to comfort those who need help and educate those who may not understand the challenges.
Watch WhaleWhyNot on Twitch!
DDickyD
DDickyD is a variety streamer with a particular fondness for Spooky/horror games. He enjoys doing cosplay on stream from time to time, appearing as Sailor Jupiter for Elden Ring or Lady Demitrescu while playing Resident Evil. He often collaborates with other streamers and has a regular Elden Bros steam with Cagematic twice a month.
While DDickyD is mostly a gamer, he does baking streams occasionally, attempting to make nerdy desserts. Throughout the years, he’s participated in an event called ExtraLife multiple times, where people can play games for 24 hours, raising money for a Children’s Miracle Hospital of their choosing.
This year he plans to branch out and conduct even more charity streams for various causes.
Find DDickyD on Twitch!
XSadShadowX
Shadow is a variety streamer with love for all different types of games. When not writing her thesis, she loves to play and write about games and can usually be found glued to her Nintendo Switch. Shadow will try any game once, though she can’t promise she’ll be any good at it – this is the channel of a proud noob, after all!
She regularly reviews new games for Mental Health Gaming and loves to showcase incredible new indie games in her weekend streams. Shadow loves to connect with and support new friends in the streaming community and gaming industry, loves having a laugh with friends on stream, and hopes to create a warm and welcoming space for all.
Though she primarily focuses on Youtube and TikTok, you can occasionally find her live on Twitch.
Check XSadShadowX out on Twitch!
Where Did this List of Twitch Streamers Come from?
I bet you’re wondering how I found such a hodgepodge group of new streamers. I scoured Twitch, Twitter, and Discord until I found some talented, unique people I wanted to engage with who were open and friendly in return.
I included folks actively trying to promote and build their streams and who are active in the gaming community. Supporting others goes exceptionally far in getting support, and I wanted to showcase those streamers who are the most giving.
Also See: 34 Discord Bots You Need for an Amazing Server
How Do I Find More Small Streamers?
Finding smaller streamers to support isn’t as hard as Twitch would have you think. Most of the streamers on the platform are small! Go to your favorite game and sort by viewers from low to high. That will help you find the folks who need love the most.
You can also use Twitter. Search hashtags like #supportsmallstreamers or #smallstreamersconnect. Many of the newest gamers are trying to grow their Twitter followers, so it’s a great place to find them.
A final way to find small streamers to support is to join streamer Discord communities. These are places where streamers come to connect, talk shop, and support each other, but viewers are always welcome! It’s a great place to find a variety of new streamers and engage with them.
Who is the Most Popular Twitch Streamer of 2023?
Ok, maybe you wanted to know who the most popular streamer is and don’t care about the rising stars. I get it. Ninja is the most popular Fortnite streamer and probably one of the most well-known. Riot Games is the most popular League of Legends streamer (though I highly recommend supporting Briikachu instead!). Shroud is well known for playing Call of Duty.
These three I mentioned (and there are a ton more who are super popular) are professional gamers who have amassed giant followings and make a ton of money gaming. I can’t hate on anyone for wanting to watch the pros- they are good at what they do. But, sometimes, supporting the little guy and helping them make money on Twitch is much more fun.
Read Next: Everything You Need to Know about Discord Emotes
Who is the Biggest Streamer Right Now?
The top streamer is constantly changing. Right now, the biggest streamer is xQc, with over 12 million viewer hours in the last thirty days. If you want to keep track of who is on top, check out Twitch Metrics. It’s a constantly updating list of the top streamers based on the last 15 days. It’s fun to see who comes and who goes.
How Can I Support Small Streamers?
Now that you have a few streamers to check out, I bet you’re wondering how you can support them.
First, you should follow them on Twitch. Check out their live streams. Chat with them a little. The small streamers will appreciate it far more than the giant Twitch and Youtube stars.
Next, if you’re an Amazon Prime customer, you can subscribe to one for free! And, as a bonus, you get to take $2.50 directly out of Jeff Bezo’s pocket and give it to a small content creator. Sticking it to the man and supporting a small streamer simultaneously – how can you beat that?
You can also support these small streamers on their other networks. We all love getting new YouTube subscribers and Twitter followers. Share their content in your network. Use their affiliate links when you were going to buy something anyway. You can show support in many ways – and trust me, the smaller guys appreciate it the most!