When a Pandemic Enters the Game: The Initial and Prolonged Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Live-Stream Broadcasters on Twitch Alexei Scerbakov Graz University of Technology alexei.scerbakov@student.tugraz.at Johanna Pirker Graz University of Technology johanna.pirker@tugraz.at Frank Kappe Graz University of Technology fkappe@tugraz.at Abstract The global COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the popularity of video games and online-gaming platforms. However, little research is devoted to understanding how the pandemic has affected gamers, especially live-stream broadcasters. Therefore, our study aimed to evaluate the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on established streamers on Twitch. By using a longitudinal time-series design and focusing on a large sample (N = 23,019) of broadcasters, we were able to determine the initial as well as prolonged effects of the pandemic on their streaming behavior. Our results suggest that the pandemic was a ”game changer” for the target group, especially in regard to their choice of game settings and their focus on non-gaming content. Relating the data obtained from the target group of established streamers to the general platform data, we discuss the pandemic-related platform dynamics. 1. Introduction Pandemics are defined as large-scale outbreaks of infectious disease, with substantial health, social and economic implications. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In order to minimize the spread of the virus, many countries introduced restriction/lockdown measures, including stay-at-home orders, quarantines, mobility restrictions, and physical (or social) distancing mandates [1]. Ko & Yen [2] argue that the distressing information about the pandemic in the media, as well as the governmental lockdown measures, have most likely had a profound psychosocial effect on the general population. For many people, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed a psychological burden, inducing feelings of social isolation and loneliness [3, 4]. Moreover, the pandemic generated a climate of emotional uncertainty, eliciting anxiety, fear and sadness [5, 6]. To alleviate these negative emotions, many people turn to video games and online-gaming platforms [7, 8]. Gaming can be an adaptive coping mechanism [9] and a useful tool for diminishing some of the negative impacts of the pandemic [10]. In the same way, online games can provide a means of socializing with others, and create a sense of community and well-being [11]. The perception of video game players as antisocial ”loners” is no longer accurate, due to high engagement with others during gameplay [12, 13, 14]. Thus, gaming provides a social experience for players, which could be especially beneficial during pandemic lockdown measures. Notably, social media initiatives such as #PlayApartTogether encourage players to continue social engagement in video games, and promote gaming for socializing and stress reduction during the COVID-19 crisis [15]. Present-day gamers not only play the games, but broadcast their gaming sessions live online, sharing their gaming experience with the world. To better understand how the pandemic has affected (and continues to affect) the habits of video game broadcasters, we chose to focus our research on one specific platform, Twitch, which is currently the world’s leading live-streaming platform that focuses on video game content. We centered our study on established streamers, a sample of Twitch broadcasters based on their pre-pandemic viewer numbers, as we consider audience size to reflect a certain degree of broadcasters’ commitment to the platform [16]. The present study’s focus on established streamers offers several advantages. First, it affords the possibility of examining Twitch as a platform in more detail, as the contribution of the target group of established streamers to the overall pandemic-related changes on the platform can be evaluated. Second, potential changes in content before and during the pandemic may indicate that gamers use content as a coping strategy, since evidence from the scholarly literature suggests that positive and negative effects of gaming on well-being depend on their content [17]. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences | 2022 Page 3190 URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10125/79725 978-0-9981331-5-7 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)