Valve is working on a broadcasting platform at the domain Steam.tv that appears to be similar to Twitch, and you can check it out right now. As of Monday afternoon, Pacific time, The International 2018 Main Event is currently streaming.
Valve inadvertantly revealed the new platform earlier than intended on Aug. 17, according to CNET. While trying to test the new platform, it accidentally was made available to the public.
“We are working on updating Steam Broadcasting for the Main Event of The International, Dota 2’s annual tournament. What people saw was a test feed that was inadvertently made public,” Valve stated in a comment to CNET.
The current interface is clean and similar to Twtich’s, with a majority of the screen dedicated to broadcasting and a sidebar for streaming chat from other viewers.
Currently, there is no option to view other streams and the website automatically redirects viewers to The International Main Event stream.
Valve did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment regarding the future functionality of Steam.tv.
Once logged in, users are prompted with the decision to watch the stream alone or with friends.
Users have the public chat displayed on the right, with options for friends-only chats on the left.
While the new streaming platform has potential, it’s unclear currently exactly what features the site will have. If it allows ad-free viewing in the future, that could increase Valve’s potential to compete with Twitch.
Twitch, one of the most popular streaming platforms, announced Monday that it will not offer ad-free viewing of streams for new Twitch Prime members starting on Sept. 14. If you’re a Twitch Prime member already, and this is the first you’re hearing of it, current members are grandfathered in to ad-free viewing until Oct. 15.
Other competitors for game streaming include YouTube Gaming, which is owned by Google, and Microsoft’s Mixer platform.
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