Despite releasing over five years ago, Grand Theft Auto V has again shot its way back up to #3 in our ranking of Twitch’s most-watched games (by total live hours). The acclaimed Rockstar game has always fared well on the ranking, but the popularity of FiveM’s Role Playing (GTA RP) mod, particularly on the NoPixel server, has seen GTA V outperforming the Twitch viewership of giants like Dota 2 and Apex Legends. GTA V generated 58.2 million hours of live viewership on Twitch in March—that’s over five times more than the same period last year. In this article, we use data from our Game Streaming Tracker to discover the impact the mod had on GTA V’s Twitch performance.

Grand Theft Auto’s FiveM RP Mod: A New Take on a Five-Year-Old Title

FiveM’s GTA RP mod sees players taking on the role of a custom character within the Grand Theft Auto universe, instead of the usual main protagonists.

The NoPixel server is by far the most-popular server. It accommodates 32 players at a time, meaning it is very exclusive. In fact, those wanting to play it have to submit an eligibility questionnaire.

Unsurprisingly, there is often a queue for new players to join. This is how NoPixel monetizes the server; players who donate have a better chance of joining the next game.

The Mod Leads to GTA V’s Highest Twitch Viewership in Years

The NoPixel server was incredibly popular among Twitch streamers in March, leading Grand Theft Auto V’s viewership to skyrocket.

Our Game Streaming Tracker shows that GTA V’s viewership remained relatively stable between August 2017 and February 2019 , generating around 7-16 million hours of live Twitch viewership per month.

, generating around 7-16 million hours of live Twitch viewership per month. However, in March 2019, the title—driven by GTA RP’s NoPixel server—generated 58.2 million hours of live viewership on Twitch, up from 12.8 million in February 2019.

GTA RP’s No Pixel Server: A Reality TV Experience on Twitch with Streamers?

Naturally, streamers are vying to play on the NoPixel server and stream it; after all, it is where all the top streamers play and has the highest potential for streamers to win new viewers.

The viewership experience resembles reality TV: viewers tune in to watch their favorite top streamers navigate the game world, interact with each other, and follow their narratives.

Summit1g was March’s top Twitch streamer (by live viewership hours), mostly thanks to GTA V’s NoPixel server.

(by live viewership hours), mostly thanks to GTA V’s NoPixel server. He generated 10.9 million live viewership hours, and GTA V accounted for 88% (9.6 million hours) of this.

(9.6 million hours) of this. Meanwhile, streamers like LIRIK and Sodapoppin shifted their focus to the GTA V NoPixel server. This resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of games they streamed.

LIRIK streamed 37 games in February but reduced this number to 20 games in March. Similarly, Sodapoppin went from streaming 55 games in February to just 21 in March.

What’s Next for GTA V RP?

So far, April has seen continued growth for Grand Theft Auto V on Twitch, meaning its impressive viewership shows no signs of slowing down .

. In the past, Rockstar, GTA V’s developer, has drawn inspiration from the modding community for its game updates.

If the mod continues its strong performance, it is likely that Rockstar will officially implement a similar mode in GTA V.

Mods are an integral part of innovation in the PC gaming space. A mod spawned the battle royale genre, and Dota 2 mod Dota Auto Chess is currently attracting plenty of players/viewers back to the game. Learn more about Auto Chess here.

Will this GTA V mod follow a similar path? As always, we will be keeping a close eye on the situation. Want to discover the streamers and trends that are driving viewership for your game? Look no further than our Game Streaming Tracker!

Most Watched Games by Total Live Hours: GTA V’s Rise Disrupts Twitch Ranking

League of Legends and Fortnite both jumped one position on March’s ranking for Twitch’s most viewed games (by total live hours), coming in at #1 and #2, respectively.

Grand Theft Auto V, of course, was March’s biggest riser, jumping seven spots to #3 on the Twitch ranking and three spots to #10 on YouTube.

Apex Legends, the focus of last month’s post, took the #4 spot, dropping three positions. The game had 58.2 million hours of live Twitch viewership in March —less than half of its February total. Although, this is natural, as the game’s viewership is stabilizing after the initial Apex hype.

—less than half of its February total. Although, this is natural, as the game’s viewership is stabilizing after the initial Apex hype. On Twitch, GTA’s meteoric rise led to many games dropping a position, including Dota 2 (#5), CS:GO (#6), and Overwatch (#7).

One new addition to the Twitch ranking is From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The game is notoriously difficult, so many viewers tuned in to watch their favorite streamers face the challenge.

The YouTube ranking is largely unchanged from last month. However, GTA re-entered, and Garena Free Fire jumped one spot to #5, dropping Minecraft to #6.

Mobile games such as PUBG Mobile, Arena of Valor, and Garena Free Fire continued to thrive on the platform.

Newzoo’s Game Streaming Tracker

Looking to explore your game’s performance on Twitch and YouTube? Or compare its performance against a competitor’s title? Newzoo’s Game Streaming Tracker offers instant insights into the world’s most viewed games, top streamers, and esports franchises.

Want to know more? Contact questions@newzoo.com to request a demo of our Game Streaming Tracker.