These days, there are simply hundreds of different ways in which we interact over the internet, from simple messaging platforms to exchanging memes on Instagram and discussions in subreddits on Reddit. But few platforms seem to attract fans as seriously dedicated and enthusiastic as streaming platform Twitch.
Though Twitch may be news to those of us who don’t game, or who tend to use social networking platforms purely as that (networking platforms), to those in the know, Twitch is an indispensable facet of life.
They may stay for a couple of seconds, or a couple of hours, and whilst they’re there, they might well be chatting with the streamer, or with fellow watchers. They might even be sending across donations, as a thank you to the streamer for the entertainment they create.
If you’re already a Twitch user or streamer, none of this is news to you. However, there is one element of Twitch – an exciting one that can have untold impacts on your follower base and popularity – with which you might not be so familiar. And the element is ‘Raiding’.
Now, if you’re wondering How to Raid on Twitch, well, look no further. Just follow our simple steps, and you can begin interacting with other streamers on the platform like this and begin growing your following in a healthy and organized way.
Table of Contents
How to Raid on Twitch as a Creator
- First, let your viewers know you’re going to start a raid. This is important, as it builds an honest and trusting relationship between you and your creators. You could at this point share a chat message that you want your viewers to paste in the raided channel when they arrive
- To start a Twitch Raid, type /raid followed by the name of the channel you wish to raid. Only you and your channel’s appointed editors can start a raid like this
- Once you’ve typed /raid and the channel’s name, you will see a pinned chat message with a 10-second countdown. After ten seconds, you can click Raid Now to carry out the raid. If you decide not to click Cancel or Raid Now, the raid will automatically begin after 80 seconds. Either way, your viewers will see a pinned chat message letting them know they are joining a Raid. At this point, viewers may leave a raid by clicking the Leave button on the pinned message.
- Once the countdown ends, your raiders and you will be sent to the channel you’re raiding. As this happens, people in the channel you’re raiding will see a message reading “<Your channel> is raiding with a party of <number of raiders>”. You will automatically start hosting the channel you’re raiding, meaning that viewers who have not joined the raid will thankfully still have something to watch.
Note: If you didn’t mean to start a raid, then don’t worry. You can cancel the raid during the 80-second countdown by clicking the Cancel button in the pinned chat message or typing /unraid into your chat.
How to Raid on Twitch as a Viewer
- Joining a Raid as a viewer is possible both on a PC and on the mobile app. When a streamer starts a raid, you’ll see a pinned chat message reading “<Channel A> is raiding <Channel B>”
- If you are viewing the channel, you will be automatically entered into the Raid; you don’t need to do anything else! You’ll simply be sent over to the other channel, selected by the streamer you were watching, once the streamer clicks Raid Now or allows the 80-second countdown to elapse.
- Once you’ve arrived at the new channel, it might be nice to write a fun message in the new chat, to let the raided channel know that you are a part of the raid.
- Of course, if you don’t want to take part in a raid, you can leave before the countdown ends by clicking the Leave button to remain on your current channel. If you change your mind about leaving, no worries! You can join again by clicking the Join button in the pinned message.
And there you have it! With just a few simple steps, and that all-important command – /raid <channel name> – you can quickly and easily conduct a Raid on another channel, at the end of your stream. Or, as a viewer, by watching a streamer’s channel as they conduct a raid, you will automatically become a part of it, unless you choose otherwise.
Now, go and have fun with this new tool! Make new friends, find new content, and give another creator a host of new viewers!
Frequently asked questions
What is Twitch?
Essentially, Twitch is a social platform where gamers play whatever they want, on their PCs or gaming consoles, and Livestream their playthroughs, whilst appearing in the feed themselves, usually in a small thumbnail in one corner of the video. Then, fans of these games, or these streamers themselves, from all around the world, tune-in to a stream.
What is a Twitch raid?
Basically, ‘raiding’ on Twitch is what happens when a streamer reaches the end of their stream and decides that, instead of just closing the stream and leaving things there, they will ‘host’ another streamer and push through their entire audience into this new streamer’s channel.
It is a great way to network with other streamers of similar size and content, as well as a means of introducing your audience to new things, and engaging with others in the community while you are at it.
Why do Twitch streamers get raided?
Unsurprisingly, raiding on Twitch has become an incredibly popular feature. Content creators have found that working with other creators through raids, and exposing their fanbase (be it big or small) to someone else’s (be theirs big or small), can be really rewarding (in both the karma sense and the hard numbers of followers sense).
