Seoul, South Korea - NAVER's gaming-focused live streaming platform, CHZZK, is expanding its beta test phase.
To get additional feedback before CHZZK's official launch, the company plans to recruit 50% more testers starting January 4.
Market Dynamics: Twitch's Retreat
Twitch, owned by Amazon, cited high operating costs and network fees in South Korea as its main reason for leaving.
Naver is trying to lure creators from Twitch to its new streaming platform, CHZZK.
Naver Expansion Details
This next phase aims to evaluate the performance of CHZZK not only for streaming games but also for other content such as cooking, music, and talk shows.
NAVER wants to test the platform's infrastructure under heavy network load.
CHZZK will launch a subscription transfer program on January 9 for streamers and viewers from rival Twitch.
This will allow them to migrate selected features such as subscriber emotes and follower lists.
Progress Since 1st beta
Since the initial beta test launch last December, CHZZK has undergone several updates based on user feedback.
So far, improvements have included increased sponsorship, infrastructure upgrades to support smoother 60fps video, chat improvements, and navigation tweaks.
A spokesperson for NAVER emphasized that the company is focused on thoroughly testing CHZZK to ensure that it's a polished, game-specific streaming service when it launches - primarily shaped by the input and interest of its beta testers.
