When TwitchCon announced some new safety requirements over the weekend, the streaming community was shocked to see some popular streamers speak out against the precautions.
TwitchCon is set to return to San Diego on Oct. 7, an opportunity for fans to meet streamers, watch Twitch Rivals events live, and check out geeky exhibitors and vendors. The last in-person TwitchCon in San Diego had 28,000 attendees, so it’s no wonder some within the streaming community asked for stricter health guidelines.
On Aug. 12, Twitch tweeted that it had updated the policy to reflect this concern. Masks are now required any time attendees are inside. You also can’t get in unless you have proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result.
These new guidelines are pretty typical of other major events happening around this time, including Super Smash Con 2022. Of course, others have been a bit more casual. The Call of Duty League Champs event in Los Angeles didn’t ask for anything COVID-related (vaccinations or test results) and not a single mask could be spotted in the large stadium during the grand finals.
The new TwitchCon regulations had mixed reactions from the streaming community. But a few responses stood out to fans.
Popular streamers voice frustration with TwitchCon safety guidelines
It seems like not everyone in the streaming community has asked for stricter guidelines. In fact, many made it known on Twitter that they were not a fan of the update, whether it be due to the policies themselves or the wishy-washy statement from Twitch.
SoaR Gaming content creator Big E made an entire video to explain his disdain for the change. In the sketch video, Big E played an intern and Twitch’s CEO, criticizing the company for pandering to a handful of people by making the “s**t announcement” so late into the event’s planning.
“Should we really be going back on our word even though we’re not being forced to?” Big E asked as the intern.
“Yeah, we’re fucking Twitch. Do you know how much we can get away with?” Big E responded as the CEO, adding that he doesn’t care if guests are upset about the policy update.
“To clarify, Twitches HORRIBLE attempt to manage this event has nothing to do with me not for masks and vax. I am down for whatever and respect your choice, so don’t turn this into something it’s not. To say Twitch has your best interest NOW is wild though,” Big E added after getting some backlash from streamers who felt he was anti-mask.
Black Rifle Coffee content creator Heather Lynn asked if she could get a refund for TwitchCon. TSM’s Colton “Viss” Visser said he wouldn’t be attending this year due to the change. But the community was even more shocked when FaZe Clan’s Nicholas “Nickmercs” Kolcheff called the new requirements an “L.” FaZe Swagg also wrote “L” for good measure.
Tyler “Trainwrecks” Nicknam was another prominent figure in the streaming community that was skeptical of Twitch’s changes. He tweeted that he agreed with the vaccination or test policy but felt masks should be optional.
“Gamers are the last people that should be freaking out about this. At gaming conventions your COVID gets COVID, you unhygienic fucks,” Trainwrecks added.
Tyler “WILDCAT” Wine said he agreed with Trainwrecks statement. The content creator with 1.9 million Twitter followers had previously said Twitch was “softer than s**t” for still worrying over COVID, saying that people who are still afraid should stay home.
The streaming community was stunned to see many prominent content creators react negatively to the policy. Many pointed out that they could wear masks at other conventions without feeling it impacted their experience. Others thanked Twitch for making the community safer.
