After Backlash, TwitchCon to Require Masks, COVID-19 Vaccinations, Testing

UPDATE 8/15: Twitch has decided no COVID-19 restrictions for TwitchCon 2022 isn’t a good idea after all. In a blog post(Opens in a new window), Twitch said that it had received feedback from the community asking for stricter health measures to help everyone (including the immunocompromised) feel safe at the con.

With that in mind, the Health Measures page has been updated(Opens in a new window). Anyone attending TwitchCon 2022 in October, including exhibitors, guests, staff, and streamers, must verify that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Alternatively, they can provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of attending. All attendees must also wear an approved face covering for all indoor spaces at the con, but not outdoor spaces.

Twitch is offering a refund for anyone who isn’t comfortable with these new guidelines and who purchased a ticket before Aug. 12. Refunds will be available until Aug. 19.

Original Story 8/3:
TwitchCon 2022 is scheduled to take place between Oct. 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center, and Twitch has decided no COVID-19 restrictions will be imposed.

As Kotaku reports(Opens in a new window), the TwitchCon website includes a “Health Measures(Opens in a new window)” page which details any requirements or restrictions attendees must be aware of. However, when it comes to COVID-19 it seems there won’t be any.

Attendees will not be required to prove they have been vaccinated and no testing is going to be carried out before they can enter the convention center. Wearing a mask is “encouraged,” but completely optional. Twitch does point out that the health and safety measures, “may change at any time as determined by federal or local government agencies, the venue and/or Twitch,” which means testing and mandatory masks could be imposed by October depending on what happens over the next couple of months.

Reports of COVID infections and the pandemic rarely hit the headlines anymore, but the CDC details(Opens in a new window) how the latest Omicron variants spread more easily than earlier variants and can reinfect anyone who has previously been infected.

The last time TwitchCon was held in San Diego (2019), 28,000 people turned up. So, anyone planning to attend TwitchCon in October can decide what measures to take, and in the knowledge that the chance of leaving with a COVID infection is going to be quite high.