Mizzou Student Streamer Spotlight: InfluxLoL
By: Joshua Wilkerson
There is no shortage of streamers on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. There are so many options available that, much like the time spent endlessly browsing Netflix, it can be hard to decide what to actually spend your time watching.
Christopher Yardley (commonly referred to as Chris) is a 21-year-old junior streaming at the University of Missouri. You can find him on Twitch under the name InfluxLoL. Chris primarily streams League of Legends, but streams Call of Duty and Minecraft as well. Chris says that while he streams League of Legends, if there is a game that people want to see or that he particularly wants to play, he will stream it as well.
One of the key aspects that set streamers apart from pre-recorded content on platforms like YouTube is the interaction between the viewers in chat and the streamer. Streaming is a live event that allows the audience to participate in the content being made, and when asked what his favorite part of streaming is, Chris doubled down on this, saying, “My favorite part of streaming is 100% interacting with the people watching. It adds a whole new level to whatever game I’m playing. It makes me strive to play better and even when I mess things up, it’s funny having people watch and meme me for it. I really like how it gives more of a reason and purpose to playing the game in the first place.”
In order to further emphasize the importance placed on audience interaction, the InfluxLoL channel has multiple features using Twitch’s stream points system that allow the viewers to directly affect him and the game he is playing. Viewers can use their points to choose options such as “Hydrate”, where Chris has to stop and take a drink of water when it’s redeemed, regardless of what is happening in game.
Chris says that this usually ends up with people using numerous Hydrate redemptions at once to make him drink an absurd amount of water, sometimes right in the middle of a fight in the game. Other options allow for viewers to choose the League of Legends champion Chris will play as in the next game, or even to forbid Chris from saying specific words or performing specific actions, such as not letting him attack his opponent for a certain period of time. Chris states that he feels this helps set his stream apart from many others since he doesn’t see other streamers do this. According to him, the interaction between him and the chat is what makes him want to stream, so he makes an effort to always talk with his chat, read out donation messages, and do whatever people spend their points to make him do.
While his university work doesn’t allow for a specific schedule, he still streams frequently and the days he does stream he can typically be found live around 4:00pm CST or later. While the length of his streams vary, they typically last between 3-5 hours. So if you are looking to relax and have some fun while also getting to be a part of the streaming experience, check out InfluxLoL on Twitch.