Microsoft is shutting down Mixer, will redirect all Mixer sites, apps to Facebook Gaming starting 22 July

Microsoft Corp is closing down Mixer, its live streaming service for games, and shifting users to Facebook Gaming, the technology giant’s Xbox division said on Monday.

Starting on 22 July, all Mixer sites and applications will redirect users to Facebook Inc's gaming app, Xbox said in a blog post.

"Beginning today, Facebook Gaming will make it easy for anyone in the Mixer community to join, if they choose to do so. We will work to transition the Mixer community over the next few weeks. Starting on 22 July, all Mixer sites and apps will redirect users to Facebook Gaming," Xbox wrote in the blog.

For Mixer Partners wondering about partner status once the transition is complete, Facebook Gaming clarified in a blog:

"After onboarding, Mixer Partners will be granted partner status with Facebook Gaming, and we’ll match partner agreements as closely as possible. We want to maintain as much consistency as we can for Mixer Partners during this change, and we’ll do everything we can to make the transition as easy as possible for those who decide to make the switch. Starting today, all Mixer Partners will receive an update from Mixer to kick off the transition process."

You can read more about what this transition will mean for Mixer partners here.

Microsoft bought Mixer in 2016, hoping to rope in millions of paying subscribers looking to watch live streams of their favorite gamers competing in e-sports or playing popular video games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto.

However, despite online streaming viewership booming under coronavirus lockdowns, Mixer has struggled to leave the shadow of market leader Twitch, owned by Amazon Inc.

Even booking popular video game streamer Tyler Blevins, who goes by the online moniker “Ninja”, was not enough for Microsoft to close in on Twitch’s lead.

“It became clear that the time needed to grow our own live streaming community to scale was out of measure with the vision and experiences we want to deliver to gamers now, so we’ve decided to close the operations side of Mixer,” Xbox head Phil Spencer said.

Microsoft, whose latest generation Xbox console is slated for launch later this year, said it will now focus on developing its XCloud video game streaming service and integrating it with Facebook’s gaming app.

With inputs from Reuters.

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