Middle-earth: Shadow of War

We jumped into Shadow of War in 2017, back when the Nemesis System was still fascinating to watch unfold. Ninety hours building orc armies, testing the system's procedural grudge mechanics, dealing with the loot box chaos that was raging outside the game. The streams captured Monolith at their most ambitious—the Nemesis System could still surprise us with emergent moments that felt genuinely organic. We'd brand orcs, build relationships, watch them grow stronger or betray us, and the game rewarded that investment with dynamic encounters. Peak viewers hit 1,285, which meant people wanted to see how our specific orc army would develop. The October 2020 launch window was wild—the game was getting hammered for its monetization, but the actual gameplay underneath was solid enough to keep us invested for the long haul.

Shadow of War pulled solid numbers across the board. Ninety point five hours streamed, averaging 409 viewers with peaks hitting 1,285. That's a meaningful jump from average to peak, suggesting people tuned in specifically for big Nemesis moments or especially dramatic encounters. Over 38,500 hours watched meant the community stuck around to see how our orc armies would develop. The 276 followers gained was a bright spot—people who came for the Nemesis drama walked away subscribing to the channel.