Google is ending its dedicated YouTube Gaming service – including the mobile app – on 30 May, the company has confirmed, and redirecting visitors to a new hub on the main YouTube website from June. GAME OVER.
“We launched YouTube Gaming as a standalone app for gamers where we tested out new features based on the Gaming community’s feedback,” Google explains in its support FAQ. “We want to continue to build a stronger home for the gaming community that thrives on YouTube, not just the YouTube Gaming app. More than 200M of you come to the main YouTube app to engage with your favorite games and creators every month.”
YouTube Gaming launched in 2015 as Twitch was becoming the next big thing in games content and livestreams, but failed to establish itself as a viable competitor – mostly because visitors continued to use regular YouTube for games content and livestreams instead.
Subscribers can combine their accounts, according to the FAQ, but won’t be able to transfer stuff saved on YouTube Gaming. Think of it like a new game plus mode.