In a surprising turn of events, Emmett Shear, the CEO of Twitch, has announced his resignation effective immediately. Shear has been with Twitch since before it was even called Twitch and has played a vital role in its growth over the years. He was a co-founder of Justin.tv, which later became Twitch, and helped to turn the platform into one of the most popular gaming livestreaming sites in the world.
In his blog post, Shear explained that with the birth of his first child, he has been reflecting on his future with Twitch. He compared the platform to a child he had been raising and said that at 16 years old, it was time for Twitch to move out of the house and venture out on its own. Shear will remain at the company in an advisory role, but he is passing the torch to Dan Clancy, who has been at Twitch since 2019.
Clancy, who was serving as the company’s president, will take over as the new CEO. He has been with the company for more than three years and was originally hired in 2019 as the executive VP of creator and community experience. Clancy’s name was also attached to a letter sent to creators in September 2022, which explained changes to the platform’s revenue split.
This news comes at a time when Twitch has been making significant changes to improve the health of the platform, including rolling out new moderation and safety features. Despite the challenges that Twitch has faced in recent years, Shear expressed his confidence in the platform’s future and the leadership team that will be carrying it forward.
In conclusion, Shear’s resignation as the CEO of Twitch has come as a surprise to many in the gaming community. However, with Dan Clancy taking over as the new CEO, Twitch is in good hands. It will be interesting to see how Clancy will lead the company and what changes he will make as Twitch continues to grow and evolve.