Kick star Neon says streaming is “cooked” due to big names trying to “one-up” each other
Kick streamer Neon has criticized the current state of streaming, saying the space is oversaturated and harder than ever to break into without help from bigger names.
Speaking on theOne Night with Steinypodcast, Neon said the only reliable way for a streamer to grow is to “get put on,” with organic growth becoming increasingly rare.
He pointed to past strategies like paying clippers to create viral content, but argues that even that is no longer effective.
Neon says “the game is cooked”
The Kick star said the market is flooded with creators trying to outspend each other, driving up costs while results continue to fall off. Even wealthy streamers, he claimed, are paying for edits that don’t convert because the content itself isn’t strong enough to stand out.
“Me and Adin [Ross] were doing that years ago, and it was working. Now everyone’s trying to one-up each other, paying more and more, f**king up the market,” Neon explained.
“The game is cooked, bro. You got people doing hella big events and sh*t, and you have to, like, there’s a certain standard.”
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What used to be a “pay-to-win” approach has now become part of the problem. Neon said expectations have shifted to huge events, nonstop content, and constant presence across platforms. Traditional setups like desktop streaming is now outdated.
“I don’t feel right just sitting down f**king behind the keyboard and behind, like, the desktop. I suck at it, bro.”
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For him, being a successful streamer today is less about the content and more about performance.
Neon closed by summing up what he believes it takes to succeed now: “To make that good, you gotta be toxic.”
