Twitch, the popular live streaming platform, has announced a significant change to its content storage policy, introducing a 100-hour limit for highlights and uploads. The move, set to take effect on April 19, aims to address the high costs associated with storing large amounts of content, as well as the relatively low engagement generated by highlights.

According to Twitch, the decision was made due to the ineffectiveness of highlights in driving discovery or engagement, despite being a feature intended to help streamers create highlight reels of their best moments. The company pointed to other features, such as Clips, Tags, and the Mobile Discovery Feed, as more effective tools for driving viewer engagement.

The 100-hour storage limit will apply to highlights, which are edited snippets from a channel's past broadcasts, as well as other uploaded content. However, clips and past broadcasts (VODs) will not be impacted by the change, with past broadcasts already automatically deleted after a certain period of time.

The announcement comes on the heels of a similar move by Facebook, which recently announced that live videos will only be stored on its platform for 30 days before being deleted. The company is also removing past broadcasts in the coming months.

Twitch's decision has sparked controversy among streamers, with many taking to social media to express their discontent. Some have pointed out that Twitch's parent company, Amazon, is a market leader in cloud services through its AWS platform, questioning the necessity of the storage limit.

Streamers whose channels exceed the 100-hour limit after the deadline will have their highlights and uploads automatically deleted, starting with those with the least views. Twitch is encouraging users to download or export their content ahead of the deadline to avoid losing their content.

The move has raised questions about the long-term implications for streamers and the Twitch community as a whole. With the platform's focus shifting towards more effective engagement tools, it remains to be seen how this change will impact the way streamers create and share content.

As the streaming landscape continues to evolve, Twitch's decision serves as a reminder of the importance of adapting to changing user behaviors and platform priorities. While the move may be met with resistance from some streamers, it ultimately aims to optimize resources and improve the overall user experience.