TwitchCon | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Livestreaming, entertainment, esports, internet culture |
Frequency | Semi-annual |
Location(s) | San Diego until 2028 Rotterdam until 2026 |
Inaugurated | September 25, 2015 San Francisco (9 years ago) |
Most recent | September 22, 2024 (San Diego, 2024) |
Next event | May 31, 2025 (Rotterdam, 2025) |
Attendance | 23,000 (San Diego, 2024), 11,500 (Rotterdam, 2024) |
Organized by | Twitch Interactive |
Sponsors | Rotterdam 2025 - TBA |
Website | www |
TwitchCon is a semi-annual convention for the video live-streaming service Twitch. It is organized by Twitch Interactive and focuses on the culture of live-streaming, entertainment, esports and internet culture. TwitchCon is open to industry professionals, streamers, and fans; the convention allows community members to meet streamers, discover new products, and trial upcoming games. [1]
The first convention was held in 2015 in San Francisco. In 2019, the first European convention was held in Berlin. TwitchCon is hosted twice a year, in North America for three days and in Europe for two days. [2] All North American conventions were held in California until 2023, in which an event in Las Vegas took place. The North American convention is most frequently hosted in San Diego. The European conventions have been held in Berlin, the Netherlands, and Paris; though most commonly in the Netherlands.
The inaugural TwitchCon was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on September 25 and 26, 2015. The event was organized by Twitch, and featured a keynote by Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. All of the convention's panels were livestreamed on Twitch. [3]
In 2016, the convention was moved to the San Diego Convention Center and expanded to a three-day annual event. This TwitchCon introduced sponsors such as Xbox, Truth, and Amazon Game Studios. [4]
In 2017, TwitchCon took place at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. This included the first esports tournaments to be held at TwitchCon included H1Z1 Arena, Lineage 2: Revolution 30 vs 30 Fortress Siege Showcase, and Power Rangers: Legacy Wars Showdown. [5]
TwitchCon 2018 took place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. The main presentation was held on the first day of the event by djWHEAT, director of Twitch studios, who made numerous statements about forthcoming features for the platform. [6] Twitch Speaks, a speaking series first presented at TwitchCon 2018, featured Tony Hawk, Kevin Smith, Felicia Day, Emmett Shear, and Ninja. [7] The Fall Skirmish final, a competitive Fortnite tournament final, was held at TwitchCon 2018, at the time making it the second largest Fortnite LAN event held. [8] [9]
TwitchCon North America returned to San Diego, taking place from September 27–29, 2019. It introduced the debut of an updated Twitch logo, TwitchCon logo, and brand design. This was the second time the event had been held in San Diego, with the first being held in 2016. This was also the first time a TwitchCon event was held at a venue more than one time. [10] [11]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon North America, which was scheduled to occur at the San Diego Convention Center between September 25 and 27, 2020 was cancelled. On November 14, 2020, in lieu of TwitchCon, Twitch held a 12-hour virtual convention named "GlitchCon." [12] Over 425 streamers participated in the event. Notable activities included Twitch Rivals tournaments for Fortnite and Fall Guys , the Austin Talent Show featuring judges T-Pain and Andy Milonakis, and a US$1 million donation being made to the AbleGamers foundation. [13]
Neither a GlitchCon or TwitchCon event occurred in 2021. The next North American event would be held in San Diego in 2022.
TwitchCon North America took place at the San Diego Convention Center in October 2022. [14] This was the third time the event has been held in San Diego. The events required face coverings and had numerous COVID-19 prevention protocols in place.
The TwitchCon San Diego party was held at Petco Park, and featured the artists Meet Me at The Altar, Kim Petras, and Megan Thee Stallion. The party gained significant media attention when an attendee cosplaying as Master Chief from the Halo series of video games was allowed on stage during a performance with Megan Thee Stallion.
However, many people were critical of the San Diego event. One of the more notable criticisms of the event was the lack of security protocols in place for exhibitors, resulting in overcrowded venues and reported stalking incidents. Legion by Lenovo and Intel hosted an interactive exhibit that involved attendees dueling in an arena using large padded instruments and landing in a pit of foam cubes. However, the arena was not padded properly, causing people to land on hard ground, resulting in various injuries. [15] Of the two injured, streamer Adriana Chechik reported that she had broken her back after landing, and had to undergo surgery to set the fracture with a rod implant. Lenovo and Intel both remained silent on the matter. Chechik posted on social media that neither Intel, Lenovo, or Twitch had contacted her directly about the incident. [16]
At TwitchCon San Diego, Twitch did not announce a location for the next TwitchCon event during the closing ceremony, breaking years-old tradition.
TwitchCon North America took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 20-22, [17] marking the first time the event was hosted outside of California. With over 30,000 attendees, the event featured key platform updates, including new collaboration tools, expanded emote slots, and enhanced safety measures like chat warnings and policies against doxxing and swatting. Panels, meet-and-greets, and product demos from brands like Elgato and Corsair added to the interactive experience, making it a memorable event for the streaming community. [18]
TwitchCon North America made its return to the San Diego Convention Center in California from September 20–22, 2024, marking its first time back in San Diego since 2022, after being held in Las Vegas in 2023. During the opening ceremony of TwitchCon NA 2024, Mary Kish, Twitch's Director of Community Marketing, kicked off the event. As part of the ceremony, Twitch announced a $100,000 donation to Alveus Sanctuary, which was received by its founder, Maya Higa. [19] [20] [21] [22] Additionally, Twitch revealed the dates for the following year’s event, reviving the tradition of announcing future TwitchCon dates during the convention for the first time since 2022.
The event also featured popular shows and activities, including The Table ft. QTCinderella, Name Your Price LIVE! ft. AustinShow & WillNeff, and the classic Twitch Rivals Ultimate Challenge, among many others. [23]
TwitchCon San Diego 2024 was also the first year in which Twitch did not offer a concert event. In place, Twitch offered attendees a "Block Party" add-on to the TwitchCon pass. The Block Party allowed attendees access to a blocked-off section of the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego from 7 to 10 PM on Saturday, September 21, 2024. Twitch partnered with local businesses to offer free food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages to attendees of the event, as well as live music, karaoke sessions, and lounge areas.
TwitchCon is set to return to San Diego October 17th-19th 2025. This also marks 10 years of TwitchCon.
The inaugural TwitchCon Europe took place at CityCube Berlin in Germany on April 13–14, 2019. [24] This was the first TwitchCon event held in Europe. It featured panels, workshops, and competitions like Twitch Rivals. Notable announcements included Twitch Sings, improved search features, and expanded monetization for creators. American actor David Hasselhoff appeared as a motivational speaker. Attendees had to be over 18 to enter the event. [25] [26]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon Europe, which was scheduled to occur at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre May 2 and 3, 2020 was cancelled. [2] On November 14, 2020, in lieu of TwitchCon, Twitch held a 12-hour virtual convention named "GlitchCon." [12] Over 425 streamers participated in the event. Notable activities included Twitch Rivals tournaments for Fortnite and Fall Guys , the Austin Talent Show featuring judges T-Pain and Andy Milonakis, and a US$1 million donation being made to the AbleGamers foundation. [27] [13]
Neither a GlitchCon or TwitchCon event occurred in 2021. The next Europe event would be held in Amsterdam in 2022.
TwitchCon Amsterdam 2022 took place from July 16 to 17 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, attracting over 14,500 attendees. It was the first TwitchCon since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a three-year hiatus. The event featured various activities, including an opening ceremony with former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, the inaugural TwitchCon Drag Showcase, and the "Fems Presents Monkey Cage" obstacle course inspired by a classic Dutch game. A cosplay contest showcased European talent, while the interactive challenge "Don't Wake Nanny" had teams competing to build the tallest toy tower without waking a lurking nanny. The event concluded with a ceremony celebrating the weekend's highlights. [28]
TwitchCon Paris 2023, held on July 8-9 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, brought together streamers, fans, and industry professionals for an exciting weekend of panels, workshops, and cosplay competitions. Highlights included discussions on content creation, mental health, and VTubers, while the cosplay contest wowed attendees with intricate costumes from video games and anime. The event also offered ample networking opportunities, allowing fans to meet their favorite streamers and connect with others in the Twitch community. Overall, the event celebrated Twitch's global culture and showcased the platform's diverse community. [17]
TwitchCon Europe made its return to Europe at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands with over 11,500 attendees on June 29–30, 2024. This marks the second time the event has been hosted in the Netherlands, previously being held in Amsterdam in 2022. At TwitchCon Europe 2024's opening ceremony, Director of Community Marketing Mary Kish And CEO Dan Clancy introduced three 'bleed purple' themed trophies awarded for achieving 5 million, 50 million, and 250 million hours of watchtime. The first trophy, for 5 million hours, was presented to /LittleBigWhale at the event, marking a new way to celebrate streamer milestones. An afterparty hosted by the Twitch music community raised over $2,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.Twitch CEO Dan Clancy joined the festivities, making the event a great way to end TwitchCon Europe.
TwitchCon is set to return to Rotterdam 31st May & June 1st 2025. This also marks 10 years of TwitchCon.
No. | Dates | Venue | City | Attendance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 25–26, 2015 | Moscone Center | San Francisco, California [29] | 20,000 [29] | |
2 | September 30 – October 2, 2016 | San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, California | 35,000 [4] | |
3 | October 20–22, 2017 | Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center | Long Beach, California | 50,000 [30] | |
4 | October 26–28, 2018 | San Jose Convention Center | San Jose, California [31] | 30,000 [32] | |
5 | September 27–29, 2019 | San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, California | 28,000 [33] | |
6 | September 25–27, 2020 [2] | - | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GlitchCon takes place instead. | ||
October 7–9, 2022 | 30,000 [34] | ||||
7 | October 20–22, 2023 | Las Vegas Convention Center | Winchester, Nevada | 30,000 | |
8 | September 20–22, 2024 | San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, California | 23,000 | |
9 | October 17–19, 2025 | Upcoming |
No. | Dates | Venue | Country & City | Attendance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | April 13–14, 2019 [24] | CityCube Berlin | Berlin, Germany [24] | 9,500 [35] | |
2 | May 2–3, 2020 [2] | RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre | Amsterdam, Netherlands [2] | - | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GlitchCon takes place instead. |
July 16–17, 2022 | 14,500 [35] | ||||
3 | July 8–9, 2023 | Paris Expo Porte de Versailles | Paris, France | 10,000 | |
4 | June 29–30, 2024 | Rotterdam Ahoy | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 11,500 | |
5 | May 31-June 1st 2025 | Upcoming |
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first weekend of July, spanning the course of four days. Anime Expo is regularly hosted at the Los Angeles Convention Center but has also been held in other cities such as Anaheim, San Jose, New York, and Tokyo.
The San Diego Convention Center is a convention center in San Diego, California, United States. It is located in the Marina district in downtown San Diego, near the Gaslamp Quarter. The center is managed by the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, a public-benefit nonprofit corporation created by the City of San Diego.
San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California. It is held at the San Diego Convention Center. Originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fantasy media, Comic-Con has grown to include a large range of pop culture and entertainment elements across virtually all genres.
BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its major franchises including Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch.
Twitch is an American video live-streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions, in addition to offering music broadcasts, creative content, and "in real life" streams. Twitch is operated by Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon. It was introduced in June 2011 as a spin-off of the general-interest streaming platform Justin.tv. Content on the site can be viewed either live or via video on demand. The games shown on Twitch's current homepage are listed according to audience preference and include genres such as real-time strategy games (RTS), fighting games, racing games, and first-person shooters.
The live streaming of video games is an activity where people broadcast themselves playing games to a live audience online. The practice became popular in the mid-2010s on the US-based site Twitch, before growing to YouTube, Facebook, China-based sites Huya Live, DouYu, and Bilibili, and other services. By 2014, Twitch streams had more traffic than HBO's online streaming service, HBO Go. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary, and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, ad revenue, and donations.
Richard Tyler Blevins, better known as Ninja, is an American online streamer, YouTuber and professional gamer. Blevins began streaming through participating in several esports teams in competitive play for Halo 3, and gradually picked up fame when he first started playing Fortnite Battle Royale in late 2017. Blevins gained the notice of mainstream media in March 2018 when he played Fortnite together with Drake, Travis Scott and JuJu Smith-Schuster on stream, breaking a peak viewer count record on Twitch. Blevins has over 19 million followers on his Twitch channel, making it the most-followed Twitch channel as of March 2024.
Imane Anys, known professionally as Pokimane, is a Canadian and Moroccan online streamer, YouTuber and internet personality.
Timothy John Betar, better known as TimTheTatman, is an American live streamer and YouTube personality.
Pete Accetturo, better known by his online alias VoiceoverPete, is an American YouTuber, streamer, voice actor, comedian, and spokesperson.
OfflineTV is an online social entertainment group of content creators based in Los Angeles, California. They produce a wide range of content, from prank videos to vlogs to the housemates playing games together. The group maintains a large following on their social media platforms.
Rachell "Rae" Marie Hofstetter, better known as Valkyrae, is an American online streamer and YouTuber. She is a co-owner of the gaming organization 100 Thieves and founder, co-owner, and CEO of media company Hihi Studios. She has been YouTube's most-watched female streamer since 2020.
Twitch Rivals is an esports tournament and online competitive event featuring Twitch streamers and former pro players.
Ludwig Anders Ahgren, known mononymously as Ludwig, is an American live streamer, YouTuber, podcaster, comedian, esports commentator, and competitor. Ahgren is best known for his live streams on Twitch from 2018 through late 2021, and on YouTube beginning in late 2021, where he broadcasts video-game-related content as well as non-video-game-related content such as game shows and contests. He is also known for his work as an esports commentator at various Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments. He is the co-owner of the esports organization Moist Esports. He began streaming full-time on February 16, 2019.
AustinShow is an American Twitch streamer, YouTuber, podcaster, and media personality. He is known for hosting various talk and dating shows on Twitch, including Love or Host. He currently co-hosts the podcast "Fear&" with Hasan Piker, QTCinderella, and Will Neff which features various guests.
David Cánovas Martínez, better known as TheGrefg or simply Grefg, is a Spanish YouTuber and Twitch streamer. With 18.2 million subscribers, he has one of the most-subscribed Spanish YouTube channels, and is among the most-followed Twitch channels with over 11.8 million followers on that platform.
Adriana Chechik is an American pornographic actress, media personality and Twitch streamer. By 2022, she had mostly retired from pornography in favor of video game livestreaming on Twitch. In October 2022, she broke her back when she jumped into a deceptively shallow foam pit at Twitch's annual convention TwitchCon, and thereafter documented her recovery.
Ali Hassan, better known online as SypherPK, is an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer known for his gaming streams and videos centering around the online video game Fortnite. As of February 2024, he has the 22nd most followed channel on the Twitch platform, and 9 million subscribers on YouTube.