Back in March, TwitchCon Amsterdam was canceled as the world began going into quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TwitchCon San Diego, originally scheduled for September 25th to September 27th, was held in limbo as event organizers monitored the situation. Now they’ve taken to the TwitchCon Twitter page to officially announce the cancellation of the convention.
Other gaming related events this year have suffered the same fate or were forced to go digital, including E3, GDC, and PAX. TwitchCon appears to be toying with the idea of digital event, saying “While we can’t gather in person, we’re exploring ways that we could join forces in an alternate dimension later this year…” Similar online showcases have been popping up everywhere and shining a light on the potential of digital platforms. Most recently, IGN and PlayStation hosted Twitch and YouTube livestreams to showcase upcoming content coming to the gaming world. Sony was even able to reveal the look of the PlayStation 5, still set to launch in the Fall.
As for TwitchCon, the event allows Twitch fanatics to meet their favorite streamers, shop for merch, and enjoy activities related to the Twitch culture. Twitch’s gaming community is by far one of their largest sectors, and this much was on full display at last year’s event in San Diego. TwitchCon 2019 was home to several gaming meet-ups for titles like Grand Theft Auto V, Magic: The Gathering, Super Smash Bros, and many more. Some of the communities favorite streamers were also in attendance, like Team Liquid, ZeRoralViking, and others. How exactly this kind of event will translate to a digital platform remains to be seen; visit the TwitchCon website or follow TwitchCon’s official Twitter page for updates on this possibility.