YouTube is experimenting with a new gamified leaderboard to boost livestream engagement.
The feature ranks viewers based on XP earned through comments, Super Chats, Stickers, and gifts during a stream.
A crown icon will appear in the chat, showing viewers their points and linking to a top 50 leaderboard.
The top three fans also get a badge next to their names, helping them stand out during streams.
Targeting the gaming-heavy livestream audience, the feature encourages more interaction—and potentially more purchases of YouTube’s paid chat features.
While it may seem like a minor gimmick, it’s designed to drive both creator revenue and viewer activity.
Currently, the feature is being tested with a small group of users, and viewers can choose to opt out of the ranking system.