Twitch begins testing paid “Elevated Chat” feature

Twitch will begin testing a way for its users to boost their chat messages on the platform. Called “Elevated Chat,” the “experiment” is meant to let users elevate their chat messages for a specific time using a one-time fee. The fees are presented in five different tiers ranging from 30 seconds to two and a half minutes, with fees ranging from $5 to $100.

The feature is currently available for a “limited number of channels” on the platform. The option to elevate chats may appear at either the top of the chat or at the bottom of a video, and a user can purchase an Elevated Chat depending on how long they want to keep their message up.

According to Game Developer, multiple people can elevate their chat message at once, but it is on a first-come, first-served basis, is queued depending on who purchased it first, and “is managed by streamers and moderators.” Once a chat message is up, moderators can “timeout” or ban the user. If a comment is removed, users won’t be able to receive a refund, and they won’t be able to elevate someone else’s chat message, either.

As far as revenue, the experiment will feature a 70 / 30 split for creators. The Twitch test began on eligible channels on Thursday and is set to run for about four weeks. It will be available in the US, and other supported countries include Germany, Canada, Australia, Korea, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, and Taiwan.