How Do Twitch Drops Work: Full Guide For New Twitch Feature in 2024

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Twitch drops are new rare and valuable rewards for various games.

Because this is a relatively new feature and Twitch, and one that could gain you something nice, it’s no surprise that people are interested in every single detail about drop rewards that they can get.


Here, I will answer the question “how do Twitch drops work”:

1. Click your profile icon in the top right;
2. Find and click “Drops”;
3. Here, you will see all complete and active drops;
4. To earn drops, just watch streamers who enabled them;


I’m going to talk about the following topics down below:

  • What are Twitch drops exactly, how do Twitch drops work, and what types are there
  • How does the Drops store work on Twitch
  • How can you earn Twitch drops

So, let’s get into it and find out everything there is about Twitch drops and how they work!

Twitch drops are a feature made with mainly game developers in mind. As a developer, you are able to grant in-game rewards, like an item in-game, to both streamers and viewers while they play your game.

You can also grant them to people when they go through a particularly hard part of the game or if they claim a victory in a very important fight. After a streamer has gone through a mission, in-game items are granted.

The point of the Drops program is to bring the Twitch community closer to your game.

How Do Twitch Drops Work For Gamers?

If you are a player, then it’s good to be aware of which companies and games are doing this since you can gain things like:

  • Per-channel Drops prompts
  • Getting a Drops home, so you can get more information about a Drops campaign that you’re particularly interested in

A Drops campaign is a collection of Drops distributed during a specified time period, and campaigns will enable you to get additional rewards if you’ve been among the most loyal viewers. That’s how you earn Drops.

twitch community viewers and streamers

Each Drop has its own Drop Rule, which represents the conditions that viewers and streamers alike must meet in order to get a drop. Once these Twitch drop requirements are met, you get the right to claim the drops enabled.

Each of the Twitch drops that you earned on your Twitch account can be found in the Drops inventory. This is a part of your personal Twitch inventory that is found in the drop-down menu next to your username.

Different Twitch Drops

You may have already noticed this, but there are actually different types of Twitch Drops. Let’s fill you in on that side of things, so you can know what to expect with this feature.

Regular

Regular Drops are the ones where you are guaranteed an item that’s been pre-selected. Usually, these items are being dropped throughout the whole stream, so in order to get the more valuable ones, you might need to watch for a longer time.

You may have already noticed this, but there are actually different types of Twitch Drops. Let’s fill you in on that side of things, so you can know what to expect with this feature.

Mystery

These Mystery Drops are similar to mystery boxes in real life, meaning you get random objects from a specific selection. Of course, there is always the chance that you could get some high-value items.

The Mystery Object you claim can be found in the game once you log into it.

Monthly

Monthly Drops are the fixed set of drops that are a fixed set of Twitch Drop campaigns. This is something that you will have to be aware of and look into, so you don’t miss it.

Time-Based Drop

Each stream can have a specific period where there are going to be Drops enabled. This is called the Drop time period.

In order to claim Drops like this, you will need to be watching the stream during that specific period. There will usually be a progress bar showing how much watch time you have left until this ends.

This handy progress bar can actually be found as a Drops menu item on the Inventory page. You can go there and check at any time how things are going.

Obviously, once you’ve completed watching past that said time period, you will be able to claim your reward. Just be aware of the fact that you can gain progress toward a reward only one channel at a time.

Also, there might be instances where to claim one Drop, and you will have to have already the Drop that came before that one claimed.

Drops occur at different times and in different ways, as developers decide separately for themselves how this process will go.

Event-Based Drop

These are the drops where you need to witness the streamer do a specific thing in the game in order to claim that Drop. These missions are usually completed during a Drop time period, and that’s how you become entitled to get Twitch Drops.

Before you start watching a mission-based Drops campaign, one important thing to do is to link your Twitch account with your game. You won’t be eligible to even participate in the event without doing that.

twitch streaming games

When the streamer finishes the mission, you will be able to claim your Drops.

Remember to go into each of these streams with an open mind, as not all the Drops are the same.

If you watch streams from that specific streamer all of the time, you will probably know what game modes they will be playing and how everything will work. However, if you just randomly went through the activated Drops tag, and found a stream on your Twitch web page, make sure to check what are the rules and how do you get Twitch Drops here.

Twitch Drops Store

There are some games, like World of Tanks, for example, that have in-game stores where you can purchase in-game items with Twitch tokens. You get the tokens by earning Twitch Drops.

Tokens are a type of in-game currency that you earn during campaigns. As you know, different developers can go about campaigns in different ways, and this just happens to be one of them.

Ways To Earn Twitch Drops

As you already know, to get this new type of in-game loot, you will either have to have a specific amount of watch time, or you will need to be present during the Drop reward period when the Twitch accounts you watch complete a certain part of their mission. But, you also know that the events when you can receive Twitch Drops are scheduled.

So, how do you find out when and where you can get your Drop rewards?

When you go to the already mentioned Drops inventory section, you will see that there is an All campaigns tab. You should go there.

Besides the Drop rewards that you’ve already claimed, you will see what other campaigns are currently active, as well as those that are incoming in the near future. That way, you can plan ahead and see which ones interest you.

Streams that have active Twitch Drops running will usually have some kind of a hashtag or mark saying that you’ll have the ability to receive Twitch Drops during it. This means that you can search the Drops enabled tag and then find streams to watch.

The Drops enabled tag is what’s most commonly used to signal that a Twitch account has a running Drops campaign, so if you aren’t finding anything of interest in your Inventory menu, this is a good way to go.

Some games might have some in-game notification about such a new event-based drop in the game launcher app, so if you see that, make sure that your game account is ready.

Link Your Twitch Account With Your Game Accounts

To be able to claim the Drop that you’ve earned, you will have to link your Twitch account to your game account. Make sure that you’re connecting the correct Twitch account, though.

But, how do you do this? It’s fairly easy, actually.

If your account isn’t connected with the game or Steam account, you will get a pop-up notification about that once you claim the Drop.

It’s also important to note that while you can have an unlimited number of game accounts connected to your Twitch account, you can only have one account per developer. This means that you wouldn’t be able to connect multiple accounts for just one game to one Twitch account.

games streaming phone gamers

No matter if you have an Epic Games account, EA account, or Steam account, you will need to go through a more or less similar process.

If you want to connect an Epic Games account, you will need to find a page that’s called Epic Games account connections. There will be a Twitch icon that has a Connect button below it.

Once you find it, you will need to click on it and then enter your Twitch account information and log in.

Like I’ve said, the same goes for any other game account.

Just remember that in order to fulfill your reward, you will have to link the account within 14 days of the Drops campaign ends. There also might be some additional time restrictions if the award itself is usable for a limited amount of time only, for example, if the event was a part of some kind of Beta testing period.

FAQs

Can You AFK Twitch Drops?

You can’t be AFK for Twitch drops, because the drops are something that you must claim manually while watching a stream that has drops enabled.

Almost all campaigns will require you to claim the Drop the same moment it occurs in the stream, so if you’re AFK, then you have a very high chance of missing it.

If it happens that you must be AFK while a stream that you’re interested in is going in, then the best thing to do is to check it fairly frequently.

If you are looking out for a mission-based drop, then your best bet will be to at least follow the stream’s audio by turning the volume up, so you’ll know that the streamer is going to complete battle missions soon.

How Long Does It Take To Get My Twitch Drop?

Each Drop that you claim and get will probably be in your game within a 24-hour period.

Don’t forget that you have to claim your Drop reward once you’ve earned it. To claim the Drop, you’ll have to go to the chat window or in the Drop inventory and claim it there.

Also, be sure that your Twitch account and game account are linked.

After you’ve finished these steps, a 24-hour period should be all it takes for the reward to appear in your game.

How Do You Know If You Got A Twitch Drop?

After you’ve earned and claimed drops, you will have a Twitch notification for it, and it will be visible in the top bar menu, right next to your username.

If you’re not sure, or if you expected to get a drop and there are no notifications, you can go and check your Twitch inventory. There, all of the Twitch drops you’ve earned and claimed will be listed.

The Twitch inventory is in the drop-down menu, also located next to your username. Just click on the menu, and find the option named Inventory.

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author on the blog

Stefan Mitrovic

Stefan is a long-time content creator and one of the Stream Mentor's co-founders. He's a tech geek and a Dota 2 player (not even a good one) who wanted to help others become professional streamers and earn from the comfort of their home.

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