11 up-and-coming streamers to follow on Twitch

I’m always on the hunt for new streamers on Twitch. Who I decide to follow and stick with depends on a few things. When they're streaming matters—I like knowing I can catch a streamer regularly during lunch or for a cozy late-night stream—and I look for specialists in a variety of games, so I always have something different to watch. But most important is that they have an inviting community.

I've found some great streamers on Twitch who feed many of my interests like art, first-person shooters, and learning about graphic design. Building out a list of streamers to follow spread across many different time zones, along with a few who stream throughout the day and night, has been excellent for my quarantine sleep schedule. 

These rising Black streamers on Twitch may have smaller followings than some of the platform's biggest names, but they all have welcoming communities and streams that I love to watch every week. Here's why you should follow them.

iSoupaSoakEm

Streaming schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday at 7 am CST

Watch for: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and Among Us 

Soupa's streams are filled with energy, friendliness, and cussing. His streams may be geared towards a more mature audience, but he's still very inclusive. As a member of the LGTBQ community, he curates a safe space for other members that are already into gaming or new to the scene.

Here's where you can follow Soupa outside of streaming.

itsRubieRose

Streaming schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 10 am EST

Watch for: Overwatch, Art, and Kingdom Hearts  

ItsRubieRose is a parent and a variety streamer who specializes in Overwatch, art, and the impossibly deep lore of Kingdom Hearts. Rubie is a creative who brings that passion—and her hobbies—to Twitch. Whether she’s painting or experimenting with epoxy resin, her streams are filled with laughter and good vibes.

Here's where you can follow Rubie outside of streaming. 

LadyInfamous

Streaming schedule: Monday - Wednesday at 9am PST. Thursday and Friday at 5 pm PST

Watch for: Call of Duty, Rogue Company, Gears of War

LadyInfamous is one of the hypest first-person shooter streamers I know. She brings the vivacity from her Grown Women Gaming podcast and Discord server to stream, by sharing her perspective as a Black woman in gaming and creating a space for all women, no matter their skill level, to play, practice, and get better. 

Here's where you can follow LadyInfamous outside of streaming. 

StaticGX 

Streaming schedule: Saturday - Monday, at 10 am CST

Watch for: Graphic Design 

Static is a creative streamer whose mastery is in editing and graphic design. He makes overlays, intros, and logos for Twitch streamers like Barefoot Tasha and StoryModeBae. Even if you haven't seen his streams, you might've seen something he made, like the viral video of Meg Thee Stallion on Rainbow Road. His streams can get intense with real-world discussions or madcap while everyone in the chat tries to make sense of his ramblings, but they're always a good time.

Here's where you can follow Static outside of streaming. 

Dynamic Reactions 

Streaming schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 12 pm EST 

Watch for: Genshin Impact and Dead By Daylight

Dynamic lives for Genshin Impact, Dead By Daylight, and educating her viewers on how to advocate for more accessibility in gaming. As a person with a disability, she shares her experiences and how she wants gaming to actively include people with disabilities.

Here's where you can follow Dynamic outside of streaming. 

Dark Mimi 

Streaming schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 5 pm EST

Watch for: Dead By Daylight, Indie Games, and Simulation Games

Dark Mimi is a Dead By Daylight specialist who dabbles in indie and simulation games. DarkMimi uses her platform to further the Black Lives Matter movement while educating her audience about the progress (or lack thereof) of Black civil rights. She actively seeks to create change by hosting charity streams.

Here's where you can follow Dark Mimi outside of streaming. 

IPG_Esports

Streaming schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday at 7pm CST

Watch for: FIFA, NBA 2K, Super Smash Bros, Street Fighter V

Kevin Fair, the streamer behind IPG_Esports, runs esports tournaments for Chicago youth by partnering with organizations like the National Urban League. Before Covid-19 he traveled from convention to convention hosting gaming rooms and tournaments at events like New York Comic Con and C2E2. Now he hosts tournaments for fighting games, sports games, and even Among Us weekly on his Twitch channel.

Here's where you can follow Kevin outside of streaming. 

SpiffyPenguin 

Streaming schedule: Thursday at 7:30 EST, Saturday at 9 pm EST

Watch for: Monster Prom, IRL 

Spiffy is a fashionista, variety streamer, linguist with expertise in Japanese, and part-time cosplayer. She body paints, she talks about her time spent in Japan, and where she buys her alternative fashion as a plus-size woman. Before Covid shut down traveling she would do In Real Life streams to share her journeys. Spiffy uses streaming as a creative outlet to combine all of her interests.

Here's where you can follow Spiffy outside of streaming. 

DippedGaming 

Streaming schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9:30 pm EST 

Watch for: Among Us and Splatoon 2

DippedGaming is a variety streamer with a Ph.D. in Dad Jokes. Dipped is a laid-back streamer who likes to cultivate a safe and supportive community. Based on his Among Us streams, Dipped seems to like lying to his friends every chance he gets. He’s a little too good at Among Us, but a great teammate in Splatoon. 

Here's where you can follow DippedGaming outside of streaming. 

LilaBoBina

Streaming schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 6 pm EST

Watch for: Darkwood, Days Gone, Fallout, and Borderlands

Lila hosts many charity streams for causes close to her heart like Extra Life, Trans Heart and Breast Cancer awareness. She is a cancer survivor herself, and her energy on stream is loving and chaotic. You never know what you’re going to get—she may be in cosplay, she may be yelling at her dog Sugar, or she may be getting freaked out by a horror game.

Here's where you can follow LilaBoBina outside of streaming.

GameHero 

Streaming schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 6 pm EST

Watch for: Grand Theft Auto and Rocket League

GameHero is hilarious to watch and a slice of home for many Jamaican Americans or Jamaicans living outside of Jamaica. He not only streams but is a part of a Jamaican esports team that competes with other countries in various games. Through him I’ve met other competitive players on Dr. Birdz, the Jamaica national gaming team. 

Here’s where you can follow GameHero outside of streaming.