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TwitchCon is at a crossroads as creators question its value
TwitchCon remains a draw for brands and streaming companies, but some creators say the cost, safety concerns and uncertain payoff have made the annual convention harder to justify.
Ahead of TwitchCon 2026’s kick off this weekend in San Diego, allegations spread on X that Twitch was giving away tickets, and that ticket counts for Twitch Partners, the top-performing, monetized creators, were the lowest they’d been in years. Though Twitch wouldn’t outright say attendance was down, a spokesperson told Digiday that “events have changed a lot in the past few years,” after the post-COVID “crazy high demand.” They confirmed the company was giving away tickets through their Ambassador program, which it has done in previous years.
Digiday spoke with six creators and two brands showing up at the convention about what this might signal for the streaming platform’s biggest annual event and the state of the streaming creator economy.
“I don’t feel like we have a clear enough understanding of what TwitchCon is today and how I could add value to its programming by being there,” said Justin Miclat, chief growth officer at talent and brand management company Click Media. Miclat also founded the Kinetic Group talent agency, which has worked with live streamers. Last year, the group spent $50,000 producing a TwitchCon event promoting and showcasing women in the industry.
TwitchCon, the IRL event for the livestream platform Twitch, which accrued 900 million hours of watch time last year, has historically been a place where creators connect with fans, sponsors and their peers. Past and present sponsors include State Farm, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Streamlabs, Southwest Airlines, Honda, and the platform’s parent company, Amazon Prime. Creators often spend the weekend seeking out new partnerships opportunities.
Recently, however, TwitchCon (which is typically held in California every year along with a European counterpart) has faced scrutiny from attendees around security issues, rising costs, less opportunities and a lack of clarity around what the platform considers its core community. Top creator Emily-Beth “Emiru” Schunk was assaulted during a meet-and-greet at TwitchCon 2025, prompting backlash and calls for tighter security (and a statement from Twitch). Others pointed to a rash of IRL streamers’ bad behavior while livestreaming at or around the San Diego Convention Center.
Mike Murphy O’Reilly, chief revenue officer at Dexerto, a gaming publisher that is also a full-service creative and marketing agency, said TwitchCon is still a “core event” for the company. “It’s one of the few events across the year where you have a mix of both endemic and non-endemic clients,” he said. Still, he noted that this year’s event “does feel quieter.”
For companies like Streamlabs, which offers a streaming platform regularly used by Twitch creators, the convention is still a must-attend and a must-sponsor. The company sets up content creation stations in the convention center, and creates TwitchCon-themed overlays for livestreams.
“At TwitchCon the percentage of attendees that are actually streamers is generally around 50 percent,” said Ashray Urs, head of Streamlabs. “For us, making broadcast software, that’s a great place to be.” Urs said the convention’s value lies in having so many streamers in one place to get consumer feedback and build new partnerships, as well as meeting key existing brand partners like NVIDIA.
“It’s a perfect endemic fit for us,” Urs said.
The creator conundrum
But is TwitchCon the perfect fit for creators?
Streamer Tevin “YourBudTevin” Lolar, who has over 50,000 followers on Twitch, told Digiday that creators attending the convention usually fall into one of three categories: low-level streamers looking to learn more and make connections, mid-level streamers hoping to connect with brands, and top streamers, who host events and establish “big money partnerships and deliverables.”
TwitchCon began as an IRL event focused on leveraging its tentpole creators, But as major stars like Kai Cenat and Darren Jason “IShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. have moved beyond the need for the convention, Twitch may have to redefine how it serves creators and fans.
“Twitch needs to hone in on the community-driven streamers and bring them up in order to maintain the health of the convention,” Lolar said. The Twitch spokesperson said the platform wants TwitchCon to reflect the growing community of streamers, while ensuring “gaming is still the heart” of the event.
For mid-tier creators like Veronika “Nikatine” Ripley, a Twitch Ambassador (an initiative that recognizes community leaders on the platform) with over 30,000 followers, TwitchCon isn’t ahrough 2023, and was even featured in 2022 marketing materials
“Do I stand to make more money attending a convention through business deals or meeting potential product vendors or catching up with sponsors? Or do I make more money just streaming instead? In the case of TwitchCon, unfortunately the latter has been true for some time,” she said.
Amira “Xmiramira” Virgil, feels similarly. She was in the first class of Twitch Ambassadors and attended TwitchCon in 2018 and 2019, but the ROI isn’t worth it for her anymore. “The brands I want to work with can be found at conventions and events that don’t cost me upwards of $3,000, and even if they do, there’s still a better ROI,” she said. “I’ve also heard some critique about what brands are attending as well.”
Frogan, a streamer with nearly 70,000 followers who prefers to go by her social media handle, said the event is “way too expensive” and that there are very few incentives for partnered creators.
Quin “CtrlAltQuin” Martin, who has over 10,000 followers on the platform, said stressed the cost. “Traveling to the other side of the country to create free content for Twitch just doesn’t make sense to me at this moment – though I love the platform,” they said.
Nearly everyone Digiday spoke with raised safety concerns. Urs said past TwitchCons felt like there were cameras on you at all times, noting the high volume of IRL creators streaming on the convention floor (this year, Twitch introduced lanyards that signal attendees’ comfort level with being on camera). O’Reilly mentioned the Emiru incident as a detractor for potential attendees.
“Accessibility can sometimes be an afterthought for events inside and outside the ‘con,” said Martin, who uses a mobility device. “Pair that with minimal security and folks who don’t understand boundaries, it can be a hot mess.”
Frogan attended her first TwitchCon in 2022, and said she requested security for 2023’s event after allegedly receiving death threats for her vocal support of Palestine. In 2024, she and several other streamers were temporarily banned from the platform after a Twitch-approved panel held on-stage during TwitchCon drew online backlash and accusations of antisemitism, which she vehemently denies.
“I don’t feel safe going to the event from both physical interactions and Twitch as a company in general,” Frogan said. “I feel like they have failed me as a creator multiple times so it’s not worth it for my peace of mind.”
“We’ve taken the concerns raised following last year’s TwitchCon very seriously,” said the Twitch spokesperson, adding ahead of this weekend’s event, the company has increased investment in security, added more trained safety, and strengthened escalation procedures for on-site teams.
“Our goal is to create an environment where everyone attending TwitchCon feels safe, heard and excited to be there, and we’ll continue listening to our community and making improvements.”
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