Twitch has announced the controversial decision, of implying a new policy, that will impose a 100-hour storage limit on all user highlights and uploads.
This decision has sparked immediate backlash, particularly from the speedrunning community, which relies heavily on archived footage to document world records and gaming history.
Twitch’s Announcement and Policy Details
The new rule, set to take effect on April 19, 2025, will cap the total storage for highlights and uploads at 100 hours per channel, regardless of when those videos were created. According to Twitch’s official statement, this limit will apply to both published and unpublished content, meaning any footage exceeding the limit will be automatically deleted. Notably, this auto-deletion policy does not extend to VODs or clips. However, VODs already have their own expiration period, being removed after seven to 60 days, depending on a streamer’s account status. Clips, on the other hand, are much shorter, making them an unsuitable substitute for lengthy highlights.
We're implementing a 100 hr storage limit for Highlights & Uploads starting 4/19. This won't apply to Past Broadcasts (VODs) or clips.
— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) February 19, 2025
Less than 0.5% of streamers exceed 100hrs & this content accounts for <0.1% of hours watched. Users will be notified.https://t.co/RoDIAEzBV5 pic.twitter.com/zN7iKHpSqm
Twitch cited financial and engagement concerns as the driving factors behind this change, stating that highlights have not been a significant driver of discovery or viewer interaction. The company further justified its decision by noting that this change affects less than 0.5% of active Twitch channels and accounts for under 0.1% of total hours watched. “This storage is costly,” Twitch explained, adding that reallocating resources would allow them to continue improving more effective engagement tools like Clips and the mobile feed.
The Backlash From the Speedrunning Community
Despite Twitch’s justification, many creators, particularly in the speedrunning community, have expressed deep concern over the consequences of this decision. Speedrunning is an esports subculture dedicated to completing video games as quickly as possible, with records and breakthroughs often stored in Twitch highlights.
This is a bad decision.
— Squeex (@SqueeX15) February 19, 2025
If there were a simple way to organize and algorithmically push highlights, Twitch could run ads on them and keep the revenue.
I suspect this is a horrible compromise by Twitch in preparation for introducing a playback feature in the near future.
Many of these speedrunning records date back over a decade, and there is no official backup system in place to preserve them.
Speedrunner and gaming documentarian SummoningSalt took to social media to warn fellow speedrunners of the potential consequences: "PSA to all speedrunners - PLEASE download and upload all highlights to YouTube," he urged on Bluesky.
PSA to all speedrunners - PLEASE download and upload all highlights to YouTube. Huge amounts of speedrunning history will be lost if we don't take action. Even if you're under 100 hours, play it safe and download. It's 100 hours for now, but who knows in the future.
— SummoningSalt (@summoningsalt.bsky.social) 2025-02-19T20:11:08.752Z
For many streamers, the April 19 deadline represents a frantic race against time. While Twitch does allow easy exporting to platforms like YouTube, some creators have built up hundreds or even thousands of hours of archived content. Those who have since moved on from streaming but contributed significant moments to gaming history may never get the chance to preserve their past achievements.
Is Twitch Really Running Out of Storage?
Critics have pointed out that Twitch is owned by Amazon, a tech giant that dominates the cloud storage industry. Given Amazon’s vast resources, many streamers are skeptical that storage costs are a genuine issue. At least the shared a heads-up, regarding how much storage each streamer has used up:
Hey Droid, we will be rolling out a new storage tracker in your Video Producer page later today that will let you know your current storage usage across Highlights and Uploads.
— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) February 19, 2025
We will also notify all impacted users directly later this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/eDuPAg0n1z
Some believe this move is part of a larger shift away from long-form content storage in favor of Twitch’s more recent focus on short-form engagement features like the mobile feed. Others speculate that Twitch wants to encourage streamers to rely on YouTube or other platforms for archiving, further centralizing Twitch’s role as a live-streaming service rather than a content library.
With Twitch refusing to reconsider its decision, streamers are now left scrambling to salvage years of archived content before the April deadline. While speedrunners and preservationists are pushing for alternative solutions - such as mass downloading and migrating content to other platforms - this shift raises broader concerns about the long-term preservation of digital content in the streaming era. For now, Twitch’s decision stands, leaving creators with one clear choice: download their content or risk losing it forever.