Microsoft shuts down Mixer, switching users to Facebook Gaming

On Monday, Microsoft and Facebook announced they would be teaming up to bring users from the Mixer livestream platform to Facebook Gaming. Mixer will close the operation. Until July 22, all Mixer websites and apps will move users to Facebook. In return, Microsoft’s Project xCloud game streaming platform will appear on the social network Facebook in the near future.

Mixer started streaming in 2016, called Beam. In August 2017, it was acquired by Microsoft and quickly integrated for Xbox One the following spring. Beam was renamed Mixer in 2017. Mixer recently signed up popular streamers — including Fortnite player Tyler “Ninja” Blevins — to switch from Amazon’s Twitch to Mixer. Xbox and Facebook say Blevins and other contract creators will not be affected by the process. Both organizations emphasize that this is a partnership, not an acquisition.

Speaking to Polygon, Xbox head Phil Spencer said Microsoft decided to partner with Facebook Gaming to expand the potential audience for Mixer streamers.

“We made this decision earlier this year that we were going to change our approach,” Spencer said. “We are not going to continue with Mixer the way we have been, and we are looking for a partner with a world vision for games that can evolve and the impact that games can have, and a partner with exceptional asset to take the Mixer community, create its own character, and grow it to the heights and magnitudes that I think it truly deserves and needs.”

“Streamers look to streaming as a job. That’s how they make a living. Reaching a wide range of customers is critical to this ecosystem, and finding a partner like Facebook who can help achieve that community scale is essential to long-term success.”

Mixer users aren’t required to switch to Facebook Gaming, but the two companies plan to make the change as easy as possible.

“Content creation partners on Mixer have the option to join Facebook and stay where they are,” said Vivek Sharma, head of gaming for Facebook. “We will do our best to meet their existing obligations as much as possible in our new contracts.”

Non-partner streamers will be able to join Facebook’s Level-Up program, which gives them access to a monetization system “similar to partner streamers”.

Neither Spencer nor Sharma commented on the transition of famous streamers like Ninja. Fans should wait for them to announce their own plans for the future.

One of Mixer’s lauded features, of course, is its trending and management tools that foster a non-toxic community. It’s also a move that the Facebook organization wants to keep.

“We hope to keep the community like this from Mixer,” said Sharma, “and bring it into line with the values ​​on Facebook Gaming to ensure Mixer’s soul remains intact. That is actually one of the biggest priorities in our programs.”

According to Spencer emphasized, an important part of this cooperation is the integration of Project xCloud technology into Facebook. He previously said that Microsoft’s biggest competitors when it comes to game streaming from the cloud are Amazon and Google. Partnering with Facebook will strengthen xCloud to reach a huge global audience. Sharma said fans should expect click-and-play experiences on social media in the future.

“We think one of the most exciting things is how cloud gaming will completely change the way people access content and play games,” said Sharma. “And from there we look forward to working with the Xbox and Phil team, to unlock experiences that allow you to surf Facebook and be immersed in immersive gameplay, and continue that on Xbox consoles or PCs.”

Moving the Mixer community to Facebook also allows the Xbox team to continue focusing on the game ahead of the Xbox Series X launch this Christmas.

Sharma further shared that Mixer users will not be forced to change to Facebook Gaming. Deciding where they want to go and where to take the viewer is their choice.