Russian streamer Ilya "Maddyson" Davydov published screenshots of the control interface for one of the services used to inflate activity on Twitch. He shared the material on his personal Telegram channel and said the images show how third parties can operate networks of automated accounts to change channel metrics.
According to Davydov, the exposed panels let an operator manage large numbers of bots that not only increase the number of viewers shown on a stream but can also post messages automatically in chat, creating the appearance of real engagement. The functionality he demonstrated includes basic management and distribution of bots across channels, which can artificially boost perceived popularity.
In his post he described what these modern operators — whom he called "sleeping businessmen" — look like and noted that the market for such services is extensive. He pointed out that many public sites advertise bulk bot packages; one listing he referenced claimed to offer thousands of supposedly "live" stealth bots, but in practice those inventories are often sold out.
Davydov emphasized that demand for bots is extremely high: sellers book supplies months in advance, and while a few accounts might be available late at night, during prime viewing hours the services are typically unavailable. His account suggests that wherever you look, most slots are already taken and the market suffers from shortages of immediately deployable accounts.
He warned that because of that high demand it has become economically rational, for some, to build and operate their own bot farms rather than attempt a genuine climb to the top of Twitch by organic means. Davydov framed the issue as systemic, saying it affects a significant portion of the platform and distorts competition among creators.
Maddyson has previously voiced concerns about inflated viewership among well-known streamers, repeatedly claiming that the real audiences of some channels are much smaller than the numbers shown publicly. He has discussed these suspicions on multiple occasions and urged others to look into the phenomenon themselves.