As eSports threatens to break its borders and the Let’s Play overtakes conversation as the primary means of human communication, Twitch has become the adopted home of both – and has been sprinting to keep up. This Summer brought new data centres to Stockholm and upgrades to Amsterdam. Next on the European agenda is improved capacity – “top priority” – and a growing number of support staff.
“It’s a mixed feeling knowing that sometimes demand has simply outstripped supply,” said the streaming specialists.
The GD Studio’s Cristian ‘Trance’ Tamas has worked as Twitch’s tech ops head in Europe for nearly two years, and the company have been looking around the eSports space for new recruits to snatch up. New hires include Jason ‘Opie’ Babo – former support chief of defunct Twitch competitors own3D – and Minsik ‘Reis’ Ko, manager ofGermany’s SK Gaming.
What’s more, Twitch have grabbed StarCraft II pro player Aleksey ‘White-Ra’ Krupnyk. Their hope is that Krupnyk will prove invaluable in working with partners in the former Soviet Republics.
“This teamwork both behind the scenes at the top events and remotely with the top streamers ensures they get the most out of Twitch,” wrote Twitch. “Our European team troubleshoots any streaming issues and works with the broadcasters to improve their shows and grow their viewership.”
Elsewhere, Twitch is gearing up for a transition to their bespoke streaming tech, reliant on HLS. They hope it’ll improve efficiency and quality of service across all of their supported regions.
How’ve you found Twitch lately? How about under the recent strain of the Dota 2 International and WCS build-up?