ReportStream Hatchet
Fighting Game Live Streaming Report
1 Jan 202516 pages~8 min full read
Street Fighter 6 dominates the fighting game genre with 204 million hours watched, accounting for 71% of total viewership and averaging 40 million hours per quarter since its launch.
See it on page 3Japanese streamers and VTubers lead the market, with fps_shaka and Kuzuha generating 6.4 million and 6.3 million hours watched respectively.
See it on page 8YouTube Gaming has captured over 25% of total quarterly fighting game viewership, largely driven by the popularity of Japanese content creators.
See it on page 3EVO and EVO Japan remain the genre's primary viewership drivers, reaching peak concurrent viewer counts of up to 377,000.
See it on page 14Legacy titles like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have been eclipsed by newer entries, maintaining a historical average of approximately 10 million hours watched per quarter.
See it on page 3Maximilian_DOOD is the top Western contributor with 5 million hours watched, notable for his broad focus on 24 different arcade fighter titles.
See it on page 11The analysis evaluates live‑streaming activity for fighting games worldwide, concentrating on the period from July 2024 through June 2025 and tracking quarterly trends back to Q1 2019. By aggregating data from Twitch, YouTube Gaming and other platforms, the study isolates titles that generated at least 100 000 hours watched in the preceding twelve months, yielding a focus on 28 arcade‑fighter franchises and the most active streamers across multiple regions.
Street Fighter 6 emerges as the clear market leader, delivering 204 million hours watched and representing roughly 71 % of total fighting‑genre viewership. Since its launch, the title adds an average of 40 million hours each quarter, outpacing legacy champions such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which historically hovered around 10 million hours per quarter. Platform fighters like Super Smash Bros. and Brawlhalla alternate in the top‑five positions, while newer anime‑styled entries such as Bleach: Rebirth of Souls sustain modest but steady audiences. YouTube’s share of fighting‑game streams now exceeds one‑quarter of all quarterly viewership, driven largely by Japanese VTubers and streamers.
Streamer analysis shows Japanese personalities dominate the arcade‑fighter space, with fps_shaka leading at 6.4 million hours watched, followed closely by VTuber Kuzuha (6.3 million) and other Japanese pros. Western contributors remain significant; Maximilian_DOOD ranks fifth with 5 million hours and distinguishes himself by covering at least eight different arcade fighters, totaling 24 titles. The data set excludes any streamer who has not met a 1 000‑hour threshold per game, ensuring a focus on sustained engagement.
Esports events reinforce the genre’s appeal, with EVO and EVO Japan generating the highest peak‑viewer counts—up to 377 thousand concurrent viewers. Street
