Emmett Shear, the CEO of the popular video game streaming website Twitch, has announced that he will be stepping down from his position. The announcement came as a shock to many in the industry.

Shear co-founded Twitch in 2011 and has been the CEO since then. Under his leadership, Twitch grew into one of the most popular websites for video game streaming, with millions of users around the world.

The CEO went into great detail about the startling choice in a long blog post. Twitch frequently reminds Shear of a kid she has also been raising. Dan Clancy, the president of Twitch, will take over as CEO as his successor.

The announcement of Shear’s departure comes at a time of significant growth and change for Twitch. The website has become increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people turned to online entertainment while staying at home.

In the statement, Shear said that he will be transitioning into a new role as a board member at Twitch’s parent company, Amazon. He will be replaced as CEO by Twitch’s current Chief Operating Officer, Sara Clemens.

Many in the gaming community expressed their gratitude to Shear for his contributions to the industry and wished him well in his new role as a board member at Amazon. The gaming industry will be watching closely to see how Twitch continues to evolve under its new leadership.