Everything that happened at TwitchCon 2019

TwitchCon 2019 is an annual celebration of video game streaming on Twitch, absolutely packed with events to attend, people to meet, and even a massive party with chart-topping artists like Lil Nas X and blink-182. It lasts three days, and in that time, you can learn all about streaming and check out competitive play from some of the biggest games in the world. Below, we’ve outlined what happened at TwitchCon 2019, broken down into activity categories.

Which streamers went?

Many of the most popular streamers and game companies on Twitch attended TwitchCon. A few of them can be found below:

Who did we interview?

Just like last year’s convention, Digital Trends attended TwitchCon 2019 to bring you exclusive interviews with some of the biggest streamers around.

Jericho

A longtime streamer who actually began on the platform UStream more than a decade ago, Jericho is one of the hardest-working people in the business. He plays a variety of games, including Counter-Strike and Rocket League, and has streamed with superstar EDM musician Diplo.

Ovilee May

A League of Legends Twitch streamer who also broadcasts for Riot Games, Ovilee May has developed a reputation as an expert in her field. Alongside her MOBA coverage, she also plays everything from Zelda: Link’s Awakening to Minecraft.

Destiny

Destiny plays plenty of video games on his channel, and more recently has been streaming Stardew Valley, but the Twitch streamer has also become recognized for his debate streamers against controversial figures. These touch on very broad and important topics, including anarchism, and he always does his homework.

Nadeshot

An absurdly popular streamer and YouTube creator, Nadeshot previously competed professionally in the Call of Duty series. He still often streams competitive shooters on his channel, including Apex Legends and Fortnite, but he has recently also been playing Minecraft. He has played games with other popular streamers, including former Machinima host Hutch.

Alexia Raye

A variety streamer who brings a light and friendly approach to Twitch, you can find Alexia Raye playing a mix of brand-new games and competitive multiplayer with older, celebrated games. This includes the Zelda series, and she has streamed Breath of the Wild and the 2019 Link’s Awakening in the past. She is also a big fan of Minecraft, and streamers for hours upon hours as she learns and builds in the game.

Gaming meetups

You can meet up with fans of your favorite game and all enjoy it together with the special TwitchCon 2019 Meetup Areas. All of these meetups will last approximately one hour, and a few are focused on more broad topics – such as game developers and music – while others are for specific titles. All of these took place in the Community Meetup Space at Expo Hall #531:

• Magic: The Gathering Meetup: September 27 at 11:30 a.m. PT
• Path of Exile Meetup: September 27 at 1:00 p.m. PT
• Pokémon Go Meetup: September 27 at 2:20 p.m. PT
• Music Meetup: September 27 at 4:00 p.m. PT
• Developer Meetup: September 28 at 10:00 a.m. PT
• Makeup Meetup: September 28 at 11:30 a.m. PT
• D&D Meetup: September 28 at 1:00 p.m. PT
• Global Emotes Meetup: September 28 at 2:30 p.m. PT
• Super Smash Bros. Meetup: September 28 at 4:30 p.m. PT
• Food & Drink Meetup: September 29 at 10:00 a.m. PT
• GTA V Meetup: September 29 at 11:30 a.m. PT
• Meetup Organizers Meetup: September 29 at 1:00 p.m. PT
• Cosplay Meetup: September 29 at 2:30 p.m. PT
• Speedrunning Meetup: September 29 at 4:00 p.m. PT

Hackathon

The TwitchCon 2019 Hackathon tasks developers and Twitch partners with creating original extensions for the Twitch website over the course of 24 hours. The event lasted from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, and began with partners pitching their ideas for extensions to the Twitch staff. Once the ideas were selected, teams of four hackers on site started creating their own version of a prototype before time expired.

Developers interested in competing should have knowledge of HTML, CSS, and Java, but other frameworks are also eligible for the extensions. You must have not written any code for your project before the allotted time has begun, and you must be at least 18 to participate. Anyone attending the Hackathon will win a badge to attend the rest of TwitchCon, as well as free food and prizes, with the winners also getting attention on the TwitchCon stream, blog, and creator dashboard.

Cosplay Contest

TwitchCon 2019 will feature the finals of an ongoing cosplay costume contest that originally began in June. The finals will be held on September 28, and include four different categories: Armor, FX, Larger than Life, and Needlework.

The costumes created for this contest are ridiculously intricate, paying tribute to their creators’ favorite games. A minimum of 15 hours must have been spent on the costume or prop in order to be considered at all.

There will be a $15,000 grand prize given out to the overall winner of the cosplay contest. An additional $4,000 will be awarded to the winners of each individual category.

Competitive gaming events

Throughout the duration of TwitchCon, Twitch Rivals hosted massive competitive gaming competitions focused on Fortnite, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, and Apex Legends. Over $2 million was given out in prizes over the course of the three days.

Fortnite had its competition on September 27 and featured a mix of TwitchCon attendees and streamers competing in Trios matches. Eventually, 30 teams took part in the finals, which follow the TwitchCon Keynote. 12 of these were invited streamer teams, while the remaining 18 spots were open to those who qualify at TwitchCon. $1.3 million in prizes was on the line.

The League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics competitions happened simultaneously on September 28. In League of Legends, it was limited to partners competing in a North America versus Europe match, followed by a Rumble on the Rift show match. Teamfight Tactics also let partners compete in an open event, with winners eventually advancing to a 32-player final event that will award $5,000 to a winner and $2,500 for those who won a lobby.

Finally, the Apex Legends competition was held on September 29. The event featured Twitch attendees and partners, and they ultimately competed for their share of a prize pool based on a points system. There were also prizes awarded for individual matches.

Stream Star finals

Twitch has been home to more than just gaming talent over the years – it has also highlighted some excellent musicians and singers. In the finals for the second season of Twitch Sings: Stream Star, six singers competed at the Glitch Theater for a shot at $20,000 and a Columbia Records recording contract. There was also a performance from the first season’s winner, LaraLoft, during the show.

The contest was judged by four different criteria: overall performance and vocal ability, song choice for an individual performer, artistry and personality, and degree of difficulty.

Stream Star’s finals was held on September 29 at 1:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. ET.

TwitchCon Party

If you have purchased the Three Day + Party pass bundle for TwitchCon 2019, you were able to attend the TwitchCon Party at Petco Park on September 28 at 7:00 p.m. PT. This party featured games to play, including pool, as well as drinks and food, but the real draw is the musical lineup. Lil Nas X and blink-182 will perform, as will Au/Ra, Y2k, and Madeon. It served as the perfect way to cap off the Saturday, and it lasted a whopping four hours.

Charity events

There were a few different charity gaming events happening during TwitchCon, all raising money toward good causes – both for gaming and elsewhere. The TwitchCon Charity Plaza returned to TwitchCon 2019, and featured a competition between 150 Twitch partners and 10 charities. During the festivities, they competed in everything from video games to trivia, singing, cooking, and tabletop games. All charities received a share of the final prize pool regardless of who won. The charities featured are:

• American Heart Association
• Best Friends Animal Society
• Feeding America
• Gamers Outreach
• Make-a-Wish
• No Kid Hungry
• Jude Children’s Hospital
• The Movember Foundation
• To Write Love on Her Arms
• Trans Lifeline

Games Done Quick Express also took place during TwitchCon, and featured more than 50 hours of speedrunning gameplay. The gameplay will go from September 27 through September 29, and was streamed on the official Games Done Quick Twitch account. Donations went toward The AbleGamers Foundation, which seeks to make gaming more accessible and beneficial to those with disabilities.

Games Done Quick is always a great time, because the participants not only show you how to make it through some of the biggest games without wasting time, but they also tend to do it without having to rely on a bug or glitch in the games’ programming. You’ll be amazed by what players are able to do in such a short amount of time.

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