What you need to know
- YouTube is testing a livestream leaderboard where you can earn points by chatting, sending Super Chats, and just being active.
- The top 50 fans get featured, and the top 3 score a shiny badge next to their name.
- Leaderboard lives behind a crown icon in the chat.
YouTube is testing out a fresh way to crank up the energy in live streams with a gamified leaderboard. It pops up during certain streams and gives shoutouts to the most active viewers, turning chat participation into a bit of a competition.
For livestream fans, YouTube’s new leaderboard is a cool way to rack up points just by staying active in the chat. Per YouTube’s announcement, it’ll highlight the top 50 most engaged viewers on a channel, giving regulars the spotlight they deserve (via Android Authority).
Viewers can stack points by chatting it up, dropping Super Chats, and more. The top three most engaged folks will even get a special badge next to their name, making them stand out in the crowd and upping their chances of getting the streamer's attention.
You’ll be able to check the leaderboard by tapping the little crown icon sitting at the top of the live chat. What’s still a mystery is exactly how YouTube is counting points behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, just because you're active in a livestream doesn’t mean you automatically want your name on a public leaderboard.
Opt-out anytime
YouTube hasn’t said if it’s on by default, but you can dip out anytime by heading to your settings and turning off leaderboard participation. That option is available on both mobile and desktop.
YouTube’s new leaderboard is a simple but smart move to boost livestream hype. Since a lot of streams are already about gaming anyway, this fits right in.
Google is presently trialing this leaderboard feature with a limited pool of users, making it unlikely that you’ll encounter it at this stage.
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