Kick Introduces New Chat Features

Kicks’ moderation system has recently experienced notable changes, with the new chat overhaul simplifying how moderators and streamers can mute, ban, and report viewers.

The recent modifications bring the platform’s standards closer to Twitch’s streaming platform. The Amazon-based streaming company they are in direct competition with.

Kick has always promoted itself as Twitch’s main competitor in the streaming business, highlighting the differences between the two companies’ revenue splits, which are considerable (95-5 for Kick and 50-50 for Twitch) regularly. This has been emphasized a lot by streamers like Adin Ross, who is among the most famous streamers who have made the jump from Twitch to Kick.

Kick Responding to Criticism?

The absence of moderation assistance in Kick has been a common point of criticism. In the past, the service has made it clear that it desires a Terms of Service policy that is less strict than the one that Twitch supports.

However, Kick is now responding to some of the community’s criticisms by enhancing the tools available to moderators and creators to better moderate threads.

New cosmetic changes for viewers and channels were also unveiled, including the option to change the color of the name letters. Some people on Twitter have even noted that channel badges, accessible by viewers, are similar to the ones on Twitch.

Kick streamers now have the option to turn on a spam filter and communicate in slow motion. The enhanced chat controls will make it easier for moderators to ban or timeout users.

Kick also promised that within 24 hours, new features like chat history and moderator feedback for private viewers would also be available.

These updates bring Kick closer in functionality to the resources available to Twitch streamers, providing streamers with greater incentive to make the transition.

Comparison to Twitch

Kick has made a name for itself for taking canceled or at the least restricted streamers to their platform with the promise of more creative freedom and a bigger slice of the pie.

In recent months, stars such as Kai Cenat have received bans, resulting in theories that many streamers are keen to leave the platform.

The changes are perhaps necessary and should be encouraged; after all, there is a difference between protecting streamers from censorship and creating a platform that enables abuse.

Overall, the announcement of these changes have been well received, and such changes are just part and parcel of a growing streaming platform.

When starting, you can appeal by being the platform equivalent to the wild west, but Kick looks like becoming (if they aren’t already) a severe competitor to Twitch, and there is nothing wrong with taking some of the best elements from their business model.