Twitch held a keynote address at TwitchCon on October 26th and announced a bunch of new features that will be coming to the platform in 2019.
The 30-minute talk was packed with new features, but the two most notable announcements were the split-screen streaming feature and added tools for moderators in chat.
Taking a cue from Mixer, the split-screen feature will allow streamers to collaborate with each other. Viewers will be able to see all the streams and choose which one they want to highlight.
This feature will be great for FPS games as viewers can watch the whole team’s perspective, bringing the viewing experience closer to watching esports events in person.
Go live on Twitch with up to three other streamers, all in a single view.
Squad Stream rolls out in 2019. pic.twitter.com/UIkbSmNIBI
— Twitch (@Twitch) October 26, 2018
The new moderation features will give mods more information and the ability to communicate better when making decisions about accounts in chat.
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Now mods will be able to check a users history in chat and leave notes for other moderators about actions taken for the user in the past.
These features should help target people who cause problems in chat and better explain why ban or timeout decisions were handed down.
Mods, you have our sword.
In January, you’ll be able to check a user’s chat, ban, and timeout history — AND leave secret notes for other mods. Prepare for Illuminati spam. pic.twitter.com/CAjoEvPYDw
— Twitch (@Twitch) October 26, 2018
In addition to those two new features, Twitch also announced changes in the streamers dashboard, a change in how subs are counted, better editing tools for highlights and a massive expansion in prize pools and players for Twitch Rivals.
For highlights, Twitch will now be allowing viewers and streamers to clip together multiple moments to create one cohesive highlight. This could lend itself to game or stream recaps in a style similar to traditional sports.