Streaming giant Twitch announced that it would be joining forces with Blizzard in an exclusive third-party streaming deal. Starting from now, Twitch will be the go-to place to check out games like Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone and Starcraft II. The partnership, which will continue into 2018, supports 20 major Blizzard eSports events. As a result of the union,Twitch Prime subscribers will reap special loot and deals.
From June 20 to August 10, Twitch Prime members will receive a Golden Loot Box for Overwatch. It comes with a guaranteed legendary item and three extra in-game items (either character skins, emotes or voice lines). The following months will see 10 more Overwatch loot boxes drop, and later this year, Hearthsone and Heroes of the Storm will get the same treatment.
Co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment Frank Pearce is optimistic about the union, stating Blizzard is”thrilled that this landmark agreement with (Twitch) will help us bring some of the most exciting esports action in the world to Twitch fans and everyone who follows Blizzard esports.”
Earlier this year, Twitch announced it would be selling games directly through its platform and sharing the revenue with streamers and game developers. The service went live in April.