Streaming megasite Twitch teased the esports industry earlier this year with what it dubbed the “BIGGEST news of the year.” That may have been a slight oversell, though the news that the company was launching its own convention certainly made waves in the burgeoning streaming industry. And now we finally know who will be attending.
The event, dubbed TwitchCon, promises to be a two-day who’s who of video game streaming, with more than 50 top streamers attending live and 40 panels.
Stars attending include well-known streamers like Lirik, speedrunner Cosmo Wright, and Joseph “Swiftor” Alminawi. It will also feature esports pros like Hearthstone‘s Andrey “Reynad” Yanyuk, League of Legends‘ Michael “Imaqtpie” Santana, and fighting game star Justin Wong.
As for the panels, Twitch is promising focused discussion about how streamers can turn broadcasting into a career. Here’s just a small sample:
- Building Communities on Twitch
- Creating and Using Moderator Bots
- Getting Games for Free: PR and New Media
- When Do You Need a Manager?
For some, the most exciting guest will only make an appearance at the afterparty. Only available to those with TwitchCon tickets, the afterparty will be an 18-and-older event with two different musical acts, a popular not-yet-released “festival headliner,” along with Finnish DJ Darude.
Darude is best known for his 2000 single “Sandstorm,” which has become an Internet culture and gaming icon that many streamers are often requested to play. The song even has its own Twitch chat emote. This is how you know Twitch means business about its convention.
