Numbers don't lie, but they definitely hide things. If you've spent even five minutes on the gaming side of YouTube or Twitch lately, you’ve probably seen the guy with the massive beard and the direct advice. Jason "Thor" Hall—the brain behind Pirate Software—became the internet’s favorite game dev mentor almost overnight. But then the numbers started shifting. People are obsessed with the pirate software subscriber count right now because it’s a wild case study in how fast an audience can grow and how quickly a controversy can make it bleed.
Thor isn't some random kid in a bedroom. He’s a former Blizzard dev and a cyber-security expert with three black badges from DEFCON. That’s serious street cred. For a long time, his short-form clips were unavoidable. He was the "clean" developer who gave no-nonsense advice about making games. But as we sit here in early 2026, the data tells a much more complicated story than just "line goes up."
The Meteoric Rise and the Current Reality
Let’s look at the hard data. As of January 2026, Pirate Software holds a subscriber count on YouTube that hovers around 1.97 million.
Wait.
If you remember his peak, that number might look a little low to you. You’re right. In late 2024 and early 2025, the channel was charging toward the 2.5 million mark with the momentum of a freight train. But the last 30 days have been a different story. According to current analytics, the channel has been seeing a steady dip, losing several thousand subscribers every few days. On January 9, 2026 alone, the count dropped by over 4,000.
Twitch tells a similar story. While he still has a massive following of around 933,000 followers, the "paid" subscriber count is where the volatility shows. In early 2024, he was hitting peaks of 80,000 active subs during massive events. Fast forward to January 2026, and the active sub count on Twitch is sitting much lower—around 1,900 to 2,000 active paid members.
Why the sudden drop-off?
It basically comes down to the "Stop Killing Games" movement.
For those who missed the drama, Thor took a very public, very controversial stance against a petition aimed at the EU. The petition wanted to force publishers to leave games in a playable state after they "die." Thor argued that the wording was too vague and would be impossible for devs to follow. His audience? They hated that.
The backlash was instant.
Heavy.
And it didn't really stop.
Understanding the "Hype Decay"
You've got to realize that much of the pirate software subscriber count was built on the back of YouTube Shorts. Shorts are great for "vanity metrics." You see a cool 60-second clip of a guy talking about hacking or Blizzard's internal politics, you hit subscribe, and then you never watch a long-form video.
When Thor started doubling down on his opinions regarding the "Stop Killing Games" initiative, those casual fans left. Between June and July of 2025, he lost over 100,000 subscribers in a matter of weeks. That's a gut punch for any creator. Even though he’s still pulling in millions of views across his catalog, the engagement rate has shifted from "fanatical" to "polarized."
Honestly, it’s a bit of a lesson in brand management. Thor didn't back down. He’s a data guy. He uses analytics for everything, including how he runs his studio and his game, Heartbound. He clearly saw the numbers dropping and decided he’d rather be "right" in his own eyes than keep the subscribers.
The Platform Breakdown (Jan 2026)
- YouTube: ~1.97 Million Subscribers. (Decreasing slightly MoM).
- Twitch: ~933,000 Followers. (Average viewers holding around 2,800–3,000).
- TikTok: Still a massive funnel, though the conversion to long-form is slowing.
Is the Channel "Dying"?
People love to use the word "dead" for any channel that isn't growing at 10% a month. It’s a bit dramatic.
Pirate Software is still a powerhouse. Even with a 90% drop in peak viewership from his absolute height, he’s still outperforming almost every other indie dev on the platform. You’ve got to put it in perspective. Most indie developers would sell their souls for 3,000 concurrent viewers on a Tuesday morning.
The real test for the pirate software subscriber count won't be the drama. It’ll be Heartbound.
Thor has been working on this RPG for years. It’s got a 97% positive rating on Steam. If the game launches its full version and succeeds, the subscriber count will likely stabilize or bounce back. If the game gets lost in the shuffle, then we might see the channel continue to bleed those who came for the "tech tips" and stayed for the drama.
🔗 Read more: Funny Gamer Tag Names and Why Your Username Is Actually Killing Your K/D Ratio
Navigating the Data for Yourself
If you’re tracking these metrics because you want to grow your own channel or you’re just a fan of the stats, there are a few things you should actually look at:
- Look at the "View-to-Sub" ratio: If a channel has 2 million subs but only 10,000 views per video, the sub count is a lie. Pirate Software still pulls decent numbers on his VODs, which means the core community is still there.
- Check the Twitch "Gifted Sub" count: Thor gets a lot of gifted subs. This can inflate his "active sub" count temporarily. Look at the "Tier 1" recurring subs to see the real "ride or die" fans.
- Don't ignore the sentiment: Read the comments on his recent "Stop Killing Games 2" videos. If the top comments are still arguments, the sub count will likely keep sliding.
The bottom line is that the pirate software subscriber count is currently in a correction phase. The "Shorts explosion" phase is over. The "Controversy" phase is cooling off. What’s left is the actual developer and his actual game.
To keep tabs on this effectively, stop looking at the total subscriber number on the front page. Instead, use tools like HypeAuditor or Social Blade to look at the daily deltas. When those daily numbers stop being red (negative) and start turning green again, that’s when you’ll know the "Thor-pocalypse" has finally ended and the channel has found its new floor.
For now, expect the count to stay just under that 2 million mark as the casual audience continues to filter out.