For most of Twitch's history, custom emotes were an Affiliate and Partner perk. That assumption is now out of date, and most published guides still repeat it.
What changed in May 2026
On 13 May 2026 Twitch expanded monetisation access globally: Channel Points, subscriptions, emotes, badges and Bits became available to eligible streamers beyond Affiliates and Partners.
The important caveat is cash. Only Affiliates and Partners can withdraw earnings. Other eligible streamers accrue a spendable balance that can be used for Bits or gift subscriptions, but not cashed out.
The Affiliate thresholds also dropped
All of it is measured inside a rolling 30-day window, so the clock genuinely resets — hitting one requirement early and the rest later does not stack.
| Requirement | Before | From June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Followers | 50 | 25 |
| Broadcast hours (30 days) | 8 | 4 |
| Broadcast days (30 days) | 7 | 4 |
| Concurrent viewers | flat average | 3 on 4 different days |
| Two-factor authentication | required | required |
What this means for emotes
The practical effect is that a much larger number of streamers can now upload emotes at all. If you were putting off making a set because you were not an Affiliate, that gate has moved.
Slot count still scales with status and Sub Points, so an Affiliate still gets more emote slots over time than a non-Affiliate.
Build a setHow uploading works
Questions
Can non-Affiliates upload emotes now?
Yes — since 13 May 2026 emotes, badges, subs and Bits are available to eligible streamers beyond Affiliates and Partners. Cash withdrawal still requires Affiliate or Partner status.
What are the Affiliate requirements in 2026?
25 followers, plus within the last 30 days: 4 broadcast hours, broadcasts on 4 different days, and an average of 3 concurrent viewers on 4 days. Two-factor authentication must be enabled.
Do Partners get more emote slots?
Yes. Partners have a significantly higher emote slot ceiling than Affiliates.