Streaming only trending games (Fortnite, Valorant, League of Legends) is one of the most common growth killers for new streamers. The math is unforgiving.

The category competition: trending games have 10,000+ live streamers at any given moment. Your stream lands on page 80 of the browse pages. Almost no one navigates that deep. The category visibility you need to grow does not exist for unknown streamers in trending categories.

The fix: pick a niche category where the active broadcaster count is under 50 and active viewer count is over 200. Cozy games, indie titles, retro gaming, niche speedruns, art streams in specific mediums, language learning, fetish-specific cam categories. The category page positions you near the top because there are fewer competitors.

The exception: if you are known for a trending game (you are a notable speedrunner, ranked competitive player, or content creator with established audience), then trending categories work because you bring your own audience. New streamers do not have that base. Niche first. Mainstream once you have 5,000+ followers and an audience that follows you regardless of category.