Summary

  • Twitch will be terminating all services in South Korea on February 27, 2024, which has left many South Korean streamers wondering about the future of their content.
  • The platform has been popular in South Korean, especially in the League of Legends esports scene, but alternatives like AfreecaTV and Tving will still be available.
  • Twitch will be working with other streaming services to assist South Korean streamers in transferring their communities to alternative livestreaming platforms.

In a letter from CEO Dan Clancy, Twitch streamers in South Korea have been notified that the live-streaming platform will be terminating all services in the country on February 27, 2024. Twitch recently drew attention for banning a top Call of Duty streamer, and this newly announced shutdown is once again sparking conversation about the platform's decisions regarding its community.

One of the largest live-streaming platforms, Twitch has received mixed attention this year for some of its streamers' activities, along with what many consider to be questionable corporate decisions. While the site remains a go-to for many content creators and viewers, South Koreans will soon lose access to the site entirely.

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Dan Clancy shared a letter with Twitch Partners and Affiliates in South Korea noting that, due to increasing costs and declining profitability, the platform will shut down all services in the Republic of Korea in February 2024. The country's ISP service fees proved financially burdensome, forcing Twitch to find workarounds like peer-to-peer sourcing and capping quality at 720p. South Korea has a variety of domestic streaming platforms, such as AfreecaTV and Tving, which serve as competition for international services. Twitch has been popular in Korea, especially in the League of Legends esports scene, so many users were shocked to hear about the end of services.

Where and When Is Twitch Ending Service?

  • South Korea
  • February 27, 2024

As detailed in the official Twitch site shutdown announcement, services in South Korea will fully end on February 27, 2024, with final payouts being transferred on March 16. All Partners and Affiliates will be formally offboarded on June 4, though assistance will be provided prior to that date to help streamers transfer to other platforms. Suggestions for South Korean streamers include taking advantage of simulcasting and getting accounts set up on alternate sites. Dan Clancy made note that Twitch will be working with other streaming services to assist in this transfer process. While it has been easy in the past for top streamers on Twitch to diversify their platforms, many of the South Korean creators are simply left wondering what lies ahead.

The video game and streaming industries have faced a number of unexpected announcements regarding business shutdowns and company layoffs this year, and Twitch has been at the center of several surprising changes. The streaming giant recently announced the removal of the Twitch app on Nintendo Switch, and this upcoming shutdown of South Korean servers has once again pushed users to seek out other platforms and services.