‘We’ve created this beautiful community’: how Covid changed video game streaming forever

In 2020, people of all ages and backgrounds were suddenly stuck at home, with many turning to streaming platforms to connect with their peers – transforming toxic spaces into inclusive environmentsSomething weird happened to video game streaming in the early part of 2020. For a long time, platforms such as Twitch, Mixer and YouTube Live were clubhouses crammed with teenage and twentysomething dudes who ruthlessly guarded what they saw as their patch, trolling and hate raiding channels run