Twitch announces new changes and rules for TwitchCon 2026
TwitchCon 2026 will have new rules in place in a bid to increase safety and improve the experience for attendees, organizers have announced.
Past editions of the Twitch convention have courted controversy; TwitchCon 2025, for example, was skipped by many popular content creators, such as John “Tectone” Robertson and Zach “Asmongold” Hoyt, who publicly advocated for others not to go as well.
The event then suffered from extensive issues around safety and overcrowding, resulting in a demand for stricter rules to be enforced. Now, Twitch is implementing more safety protocols with the expectation of making TwitchCon 2026 a substantially better experience compared to previous iterations. The convention is taking place in Rotterdam on 30-31 May, 2026.
What new changes and rules will be implemented at TwitchCon 2026?
Twitch has announced various new rules are being introduced that will primarily affect IRL streaming, meet and greets, while changes have also been made to security and staff.
IRL streaming
The biggest change for is coming to IRL streaming in the event, with the following rules being enforced at the event:
- All attendees are required to ensure they aren’t blocking any walkway or access points
- There are designated no-streaming areas, where creators won’t be allowed to record content
- All attendees are required to follow TwitchCon staff instructions
- Attendees who don’t want to be filmed can wear lanyards to signal that they shouldn’t be approached or featured in broadcasts
Twitch explicitly states that any violation can lead to a streaming ban. If the violation is more severe, then the ban can become longer or permanent, the violator can be removed from the event, and also blacklisted from future events.
Meet-and-greets
Image credit: Emiru
Twitch is also making significant changes to how meet-and-greets will work to make them better and control the environment.
- Meet-and-greets will require reservations; just walking up to a creator isn’t allowed
- Dedicated staff will be present in the area
- Lines and creators will have sufficient separation to manage the crowd
TwitchCon 2025’s main controversy revolved around Emily “Emiru” Beth Schunk’s meet-and-greet, where the streamer faced an unfortunate incident. Videos were shared of the incident depicting a fan allegedly assaulting Emiru. The incident went viral, with the streaming community bashing Twitch for failing to secure the event properly.
Similar incidents aren’t uncommon among IRL streamers, and even Emiru has faced harassment and stalking before. Kaitlyn “Amouranth” Siragusa was also stalked at TwitchCon 2022, highlighting that such incidents aren’t new to the event either. This is why many streamers argue that events like TwitchCon aren’t safe, as they put creators in front of potentially dangerous people. Twitch aims to prevent such incidents by updating its rules, but many streamers are still unconvinced.
Security
Twitch stated that security is a priority and the platform wants every attendee and staff member to feel safe at the event. To combat previous incidents, more trained staff will be added to the event. A clearer escalation plan will also be implemented for better response times in case a safety issue arises.
These updates are a clear signal that Twich is seeking for professionalise the event, though streamer Tectone, a staunch non-supporter of TwitchCon, continues to argue that these changes and rules won’t fix the event’s safety issues — only time will tell.
Feature image credit: Twitch
Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.
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