Twitch Raises Price Of Its Ad-Free Service 'Turbo' But Adds No New Features, And Users Aren't Happy

Twitch, still the internet's main destination for streamers with even more than YouTube, has announced an increase in the amount of money some people will have to pay for Turbo, its ad-free premium service.

Yesterday, the controversial move was announced when users were sent an email about the pricing changes, and many have already begun voicing their displeasure.

The rate for Turbo has been adjusted in all countries, going from $8.99 in the United States to $11.99 but decreasing in certain other countries.

As it stands, current subscribers can keep their Turbo at the old price for three months, according to the communications sent out by Twitch. The chart below, made by Twitter user Zach Bussey, shows the changes across the board.

The price hike notably comes along with no reported new features, which has enraged many who are confused about the decision.

Gamers and viewers collectively screamed into the void together, posting on Twitter, Reddit and other sites about the contentious news. Some also argued that the increasing prevalence of advertisements on Twitch has made the platform unusable unless people have purchased Turbo.

While somewhat lesser known than similar services like YouTube Premium, Turbo gives Twitch a consistent way of making revenue, and the company claims that it shares money earned from Turbo subscriptions with creators and streamers.

However, some streamers protested the idea of Turbo, arguing that it took away the incentive for viewers to subscribe to specific channels because it gives them subscriber-type privileges on all channels.

Despite the backlash from several controversial decisions the platform has made in recent months, changes seem to be coming to Twitch whether or not users or streamers want them.

The Amazon-owned company's former CEO, Emmett Shear, who had been with Twitch since 2006, left in late March this year.

It's worth noting that other online platforms have also raised or modified subscription models lately, including Netflix, which also saw blowback from customers.