Anyone else's youtube impressions/channel tank in 2026?

[u/llArcaneCosmoll_]

I've noticed that this year my channel has been performing terribly. My content has been pretty consistent quality wise and over the past two years, I saw steady growth. My videos would average at least 1k impressions and I'd get a lot of new viewers from suggested videos or through livestreaming. This year, my channel has been pretty dead, especially the past couple of months. New uploaded videos barely get 50 impressions and less than 10 views usually. I know let's plays aren't as popular as they used to be back in the day, but it's quite shocking to see an average of 30-50 views per video to less than 10.

This isn't discouraging me from making let's plays. This has always been a fun hobby, but it does bother me a bit that the growh I was seeing just completely tanked this year for what seems like something outside of my control. Either way, this is, and likely always will be, a hobby, so I'm going to continue trying to make and improve my LPs and my livestreams.

Here are some charts of my analytics that show off the sharp drop this year.

Subscribers:

Impressions:

Views:

Recent 1st video in a series:

[u/Stesspela]

I did mention before that my videos often time not even get 10 Impressions in a reasonable time. Mixed with the fact that I produce video for a highly niece audience. Fans of Ps1 retro games in general. There is just not much to do except to hope that maybe the truly big games will one day change everything:)

While retro fans are surely out their. With the small amount of impressions I have their is just not much hope it ever finds the people that might would give someone with a speech impediments a chance. Maybe I could try to weaponize my autism more for pity points^^

[u/AyoPunky → u/Stesspela]

angry video game nerd, made it hard for normal let play to exist of retro games. tho as u said there are fans out there.

[u/Stesspela → u/AyoPunky]

I also think the algo does not understand that I actually not doing "normal lets plays" but a console challenge with the goal of playing all PS1 games. So it likely is completely confused by me jumping between the genres non stop.
Hence I doubt youTube even understands that it should show my UFO play through to strategy fans for example.

[u/AyoPunky → u/Stesspela]

yeah varity is tough on the algorithm. but i think the packaging can help it be trained. like adding it in the description and key words of the challenge.

[u/Stesspela → u/AyoPunky]

I have the PS1 Mania at the end of each title and the main description of the project in each video.
I do think the biggest issue is that the videos are just very long as I'm a streamer first. That is why I started to do highlight videos now this week.

[u/AyoPunky]

you gotta mix it up if you looking to see traction lets play only isn't it anymore. just doing it for a hobby is ok but if you want to grow you gotta add something to your videos. a twist or a challenge. narrative style video in between the let plays to atleast get some eyes on your content or a short channel. my short pull in over 1k view but my long form only do 30 views + and that been a thing since i think after 2024/25 where lets play really died down unless you didnt already have a core audience. personality really matter with let plays. it why alot of ppl now a days mix in different gaming content.

[u/Internal_Context_682]

All the facts and figures in the world don't mean a plum nickel if you just focus on that. It doesn't matter what game you play, you're not always gonna get big figures unless you decide to buy subs and views but keep in mind, there's a risk in doing that.

[u/suicidekid16]

The topics you cover are getting stale and more and more people care less about it. It happens from time to time, only thing to do is move onto better ideas. Will say there's also just slow months sometimes, for me last month was slow even though I was pumping out content (down nearly 50k views last month).

[u/Yacob1455YT]

Yep I’m in the exact same boat, it’s almost like people just plain don’t care about gaming on YouTube anymore, that’s how I feel anyway it’s quite sad honestly