Twitch’s Never-Ending Stream Is Proof There Should Be More Rules

Ludwig Ahgren, a popular content creator and streamer, is currently in the midst of a never-ending Twitch stream that’s helping provide proof the platform needs more clear rules and regulations. Ludwig’s subathon is essentially a marathon stream that’s uncapped in length, with viewers able to subscribe to extend the length of the stream. In theory, it’s a clever idea to help generate an influx of subscribers while providing the kind of lengthy stream content that’s been successful to some of the platform’s biggest names in the past.

In practice, however, Ludwig’s never-ending Twitch stream is effectively testing the platform and its willingness to let content creators put themselves at risk. Ludwig’s subathon began on Sunday and has consistently been seeing viewership in the tens of thousands. With more hype being generated by viewers drawn to the interesting practice, plenty of newer viewers have shown up and subscribed to help keep the marathon going. That’s effectively meant that, each time Ludwig has gone to sleep – which he does on stream in a racecar bed – he has woken up to a longer marathon countdown. At time of writing, he has more than 72 hours left on the marathon, with time continuing to be added as more viewers tune in to Ludwig’s compelling brand of dry wit and range of content.

To be clear, Ludwig’s stream itself doesn’t appear to be veering into unsafe territory. He’s been sleeping regularly, taking breaks away from his computer to cook, shower, or work out, and he’s been regularly checking in with his housemates, many of whom are successful content creators in their own right. Ludwig’s concept makes sense, especially within the current framework of Twitch’s rules, which don’t have anything in place to prevent streamers from engaging in this kind of marathon content. Ludwig isn’t a problem, and, in fact, his transparency on parasocial relationships and other issues content creators find themselves struggling to raise awareness of in their viewership is often refreshing.

Why Ludwig’s Never-Ending Twitch Stream Could Cause Future Problems

The issue lies in Twitch’s regulatory systems, which routinely fail to protect content creators – whether it’s from fans or themselves. Some streamers have complained that Twitch has failed to protect them from stalkers, while one streamer in 2017 died while trying to complete a 24-hour marathon stream. With the knowledge that these kinds of lengthy marathons can be problematic for a streamer’s physical and mental health, it’s become abundantly clear that more regulations need to be implemented by Twitch to help prevent content creators from reaching these points.

Again, Ludwig’s stream itself seems like a well-thought-out endeavor that doesn’t appear to be putting the content creator in any real danger. He’s also a unique case, however, as he’s already an established streamer with a huge following and an infrastructure that makes marathons viable. For many content creators, even those with sizeable followings, pursuing something like this stream would be a lot more difficult and a lot more threatening to their health. Just three days into Ludwig’s subathon, though, the streamer revealed he had made roughly $140,000 USD (as reported by Dot Esports), and that kind of value – or the pursuit of money that’s even a fraction of it – will no doubt incentivize other streamers to try something similar.

Twitch needs to have better protective systems in place for content creators. Something like a cap on stream lengths – 24 hours in a row, maximum, before being forced into being offline for a lengthy period of time – would go a long way. Even without measures that extreme, it’s important to help content creators feel less pressure to try these kinds of marathon streams in the future. Ludwig’s success, and Twitch profiting off it, might set an unruly precedent, and though there’s nothing sinister behind Ludwig’s idea itself, what spawns from it could be dangerous without more rules to minimize the risk faced by people pursuing the life of a content creator.

About The Author

Cody Gravelle
(1588 Articles Published)

Cody is Screen Rant’s Game Reviews Editor. He joined the team in 2018 and has been reporting on games pretty well every day since – except on weekends, where he’s typically playing them instead. Despite being in a field ostensibly about critiquing and enjoying quality games, his most played game of 2019 was Fate/Grand Order – something unlikely to change in 2020 and beyond.

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