Twitch adds Hot Tub, Pools, Beaches as a new category

• Twitch has decided to add “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” as a new category on the platform.

After numerous claims that the “Hot Tub Meta” was pushing back advertisers and viewers from the platform, Twitch has decided to add the controversial meta as its own category, “Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches” in order to separate it from the regular Just Chatting category.

There is no doubt that Hot Tub streaming has become a growing trend within the streaming platform, with many streamers having used the method as a means of garnering millions of viewers per broadcast, mainly female streamers who want to have a rather flaunty chat with their audience. Streamers such as Amouranth have fully taken advantage of the method to garner views in the platform, before her stream was demonetized by Twitch due to some advertiser complaints. Other streamers have parodied the practice, such as OfflineTV having their own version of a Hot Tub meta stream but are all modestly clothed.

However, the practice of the “Hot Tub Meta” in Twitch has also garnered many complaints from viewers and other streamers, with many of the detractors claiming that the practice is simply a loophole in Twitch’s very ambiguous rules regarding attire and sexual practices. High profile streamers such as xQc has also highly criticized the practice, calling it “the most pathetic thing” in Twitch.

IM GONNA BE HONNEST, THIS HOT TUB META IS BY FAR THE MOST PATHETIC THING WE'VE SEEN ON TWITCH IN FOREVER. WHAT A SAD REALITY. PLEASE GET THIS TRASH OFF THE FRONTPAGE

— xQc (@xQc) April 19, 2021

However, after months of complains from viewers and other streamers, Twitch has decided that hot tub streaming is not a violation of its rules, and have even clarified the practice from its detractors, stating that “being seen as sexy is not against the rules”.

In a news blog post by Twitch, they responded to the conversation and criticism of hot tub streams. One of the key statements of their response to the controversy was to tell the community that “being sexy” is not against the rules and no streamer or content creator should be harassed for it.

While we have guidelines about sexually suggestive content, being found to be sexy by others is not against our rules, and Twitch will not take enforcement action against women, or anyone on our service, for their perceived attractiveness,”

Twitch’s response to the recent Hot Tub meta controversy in their March 21,2021 blogpost

Twitch also acknowledged the criticism that hot tub streams circumvent their policies regarding streamers’ attires and sexual practices the platform deems prohibited.

There has been confusion around whether streams from hot tubs are permissible under our current policies, and we understand why our rules as written have contributed to that  confusion. Under our current Nudity & Attire and Sexually Suggestive Content policies, streamers may appear in swimwear in contextually appropriate situations (at the beach, in a hot tub, for example), and we allow creative expression like body writing and body painting, provided the streamer has appropriate coverage as outlined by our attire policy. Nudity or sexually explicit content (which we define as pornography, sex acts, and sexual services) are not allowed on Twitch. 

Twitch’s further explanation and response on how Hot Tub streams do not break Twitch’s rules.

To simplify any of what Twitch has stated, they are allowing Hot Tub streams to stay as long as said streamers are wearing their swimwear in environments where bathing suits are supposed to be worn, such as in the aforementioned hot tubs, swimming pools, and beaches. Twitch is also keen on making sure that all content creators are to be treated fairly under their ever updating rules and policies, in regards to monetization, channel status, and stability.

It seems that the Hot Tub Meta is here to stay.