What features do you want to see in YouTube’s streaming service now that Blizzard’s switched from Twitch?

The exodus of streamers and streaming networks from Twitch to other streaming platforms continued recently, with Blizzard (well, Activision Blizzard) moving its esports broadcasts over to YouTube. This, of course, includes the Overwatch League, Hearthstone Esports, the Mythic Dungeon Invitational, and even Call of Duty League. And while that last one may not be as relevant to the audience of this site, the overall shift is a pretty big one for anyone interested in Blizzard esports. But as Hearthstone fans may have discovered this weekend, that shift hasn’t been without a few hitches.

As our own Elizabeth Harper pointed out, regular Twitch viewers aren’t likely to realize a Blizzard esports event has gone live, since they’re not actively on YouTube. Moreover, YouTube doesn’t have the same notification features Twitch does, which makes it even less likely those streams will be noticed. For the Overwatch League (and Call of Duty League), this isn’t as big an issue, since those generate quite a bit of hype on their own. But “smaller” esports like the Hearthstone Masters Tour Arlington this weekend get left behind a bit, resulting in severely decreased viewership.

All that said, this is a brand-new switch, and like most new things, there are going to be some bumps in the road no matter what you do. And from the sounds of it, YouTube is working on adding several features to really up its streaming service and bring it more in line with the experience users get over on Twitch (or Mixer). I’ll admit, I’m not entirely sure what that means, but it still sounds promising all the same!

Given my lack of knowledge in that regard, I’m going to turn it over to all of you now. What features would you like to see added to YouTube’s streaming service to make it an essential way to watch Blizzard esports? If you’re not a regular viewer of Blizzard esports, is there something that would change that? And if you are, are there any things you’d like to see Blizzard do on their end to facilitate a smooth change? Sound off below!