First Flip, then Facebook Gaming
Flip was not the only platform to fade. Now Facebook Gaming is shutting down for good. Meta is winding down its dedicated Gaming Creator Program, ending partner support first, then retiring the program itself. If you built an audience there, then this hurts. The good news is you still have time to move, and you have good options if you plan instead of waiting for the last goodbye email.
What is Actually Happening
Meta has announced that dedicated partner support for Facebook Gaming ends on October 31, 2025. The entire Gaming Creator Program shuts down in 2026. Monetization tools will continue to function during the wind down, but the program perks and support go away. Think of this as an exit, not a abrupt stop.
Facebook Gaming launched in 2018 with two tracks. The Level Up program helped newer creators with better transcoding and Stars access. The Partner tier offered higher quality, direct support, and event invites. Requirements were light at first, like creating a Gaming Video Creator page, streaming a few hours over a couple of days, and staying in good standing. For a while, it worked.
Why this is Happening Now
The numbers flipped. During the pandemic, Facebook Gaming had a real moment, peaking around Q3 2021 with more than a billion hours watched and a market share that briefly passed YouTube Gaming. Then viewership fell hard. By Q3 2024 hours watched were a tiny fraction of peak, unique channels had collapsed, and market share slipped into the low single digits. That is not a blip. That is a trend.
At the same time, Meta’s strategy changed. The company is focused on Reels, short video, and large investments in AI and the metaverse. When a business picks a lane, everything else that does not directly support that lane gets smaller budgets or a sunset notice. Gaming streams inside the Facebook app never developed the same culture or stickiness that Twitch has, and YouTube Gaming recovered momentum with long form and VOD discovery.
If you want a playbook for how this ends, remember Mixer. Microsoft spent lots of money, signed stars, and still shut it down in 2020. Creators were pushed to Facebook Gaming at the time. Now that route is closing too. Platforms can lose money for a long time. They do not do it forever.
What This Means for you in Practice
- The perks are going away. No more dedicated partner support after October 31, 2025, and no program-only invitations or tools once the program retires in 2026. Stars will keep working during the wind down, and general creator monetization that sits outside Gaming should continue, but do not count on gaming specific help.
- Discovery will likely get worse, not better. When a platform de-prioritizes a category, the algorithm and the human teams follow. If your growth slowed this year, it is not your imagination.
- You need a migration plan. The gaming audience is still strong across the market, just not on Facebook. Twitch remains the top live platform. YouTube Gaming has strong VOD discovery, better evergreen value, and editing tools. Kick is growing, with a smaller but more dedicated community. Creators have the added job of moving fans without losing them in the process.
The Exit Plan
Back up everything. Export VODs, clips, thumbnails, and captions. Save your Stars payout history and any invoices or 1099s for tax season. Label folders by month so you can find things later.
Capture your audience. Post a pinned video that explains where you are streaming next and why. Add links in your bio and at the end of every stream. Offer a simple freebie to collect emails or Discord joins. If you do not own your audience, you are always one policy change away from starting over.
Pick your next home. If live streaming is first for you, Twitch is the default. If your content is varied with VODs and strong highlights, YouTube often wins because clips and long form work together. If you stream fewer hours but make high energy moments, consider a hybrid: live on Twitch, highlights on YouTube, Shorts on both. Test for two weeks, then commit.
Secure your handle and settings. Grab your handle on the new platform. Set up two factor, stream keys, and payout details. Turn on all monetization options you qualify for on day one. Do not wait a month to apply for the partner or affiliate track.
Rework your show for the new platform. Twitch chat pacing is different than Facebook. YouTube viewers tolerate intros even less. Trim your cold open. Put a call to action at minute five, not minute forty five. Pin a message with your schedule. Design your panels and about page so a new person knows who you are in ten seconds.
Money During the Transition
Short term bridge. Keep Facebook Stars and Subscriptions on until your next platform starts paying. Tell viewers that tips and memberships on the new platform help you finish the move. People like being part of a rebuild if you invite them in.
Brand partners. Send a one page update to any sponsors. Share your new schedule and platforms, a preview of your content plan, and how deliverables change. That kind of proactive email nurtures the relationship through the transition.
Tax housekeeping. Keep payout statements, platform 1099s, and any closing statements from Facebook in one folder. If you buy new overlays, alerts, or gear for the move, those are business expenses. If you end any paid tools that were Facebook specific, cancel them now so you are not paying double next month. However it is important to remember that you cannot just stop collecting Facebook payout information since they are going away. The IRS will still care about these come tax time. Beluga can help creators with all of their tax preparedness, ensuring that all docs are collected correctly, and you have everything you need to file!
The Bigger Picture
The live gaming market did not shrink. It consolidated. Twitch is still the default for live. YouTube is the best at turning a live moment into an evergreen library that keeps earning. Newer platforms are experimenting with revenue splits and discovery, whcih can be good for early movers. Facebook Gaming proved again that big companies can build products, but culture and community are harder.
Bottom Line
Facebook Gaming’s partner program is ending, first in support and then in full. Treat this like a project with a deadline. Back up your catalog, move your audience, pick a new home, and turn on monetization quickly so cash flow does not stall. The creators who do best in moments like this are the ones who act early, communicate clearly, and design a show that fits the platform they choose next.
Keep on Creating!
— The Beluga Team
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