A new analysis from viewbot-monitoring firm StreamHatchet indicates that Twitch now hosts a greater cumulative number of viewbot hours compared to Kick. According to the white paper, the top 20 Twitch creators using viewbot tools held more hours of artificially elevated viewership than the top 20 on Kick. At the same time, Kick shows concentrated viewbot activity in fewer channels.

StreamHatchet found that the top 20 Twitch channels flagged for viewbotting amassed more elevated hours in Q2 and Q3 of 2025 than the top 20 Kick channels. On the other hand, Kick’s viewbotting hours are more tightly clustered; only a handful of channels account for the vast majority of suspected manipulation. The report shows that while Twitch has a broader spread, Kick’s infractions are more extreme in intensity per channel.

The report also charts how viewbotting behavior has evolved over time. In early 2025, Kick appeared to host more widespread viewbot instances, but by mid-year Twitch reclaimed the scale advantage. Both platforms show peaks tied to promotional events or live gambling/ad-style streams.

Countermeasure to crack down viewbotting

Twitch has ongoing countermeasures: automated detection systems, penalties for repeated violations and periodic account suspensions. Kick has also said it is investing in anti-manipulation tools, although the public depth of its systems is less well-documented. Twitch and Kick both classify viewbotting as a violation of their terms of service, with penalties that include suspensions and permanent bans for repeat offenders. Platforms say banning accounts engaged in viewbotting is necessary to protect the integrity of metrics that affect advertising, sponsorships and revenue.

The community also has called for greater transparency in how platforms detect and handle viewbotting. Some argue that public leaderboards or more frequent enforcement reports would help legitimize metrics. Others question whether platforms will consistently act on flagged behavior given the financial incentives tied to high view counts.

As viewership inflation shifts back toward Twitch, attention may grow on how platforms balance growth ambitions with integrity. Advertisers and sponsors who track engagement closely may seek stronger assurances. Streamers found using viewbotting risk penalties, reputation loss or account suspension.