Published , by Kevin Tucker
Published , by Kevin Tucker
In the wake of the recent shooting at a Madden tournament held in Jackonsville, Florida — and with consideration to the lawsuit quickly levied against Electronic Arts — convention and event organizers are understandably doubling down on security measures. The rules might seem more strict that necessary, but safety is of the utmost importance, which is why Twitch has recently made a few changes to its security policies with regard to the upcoming TwitchCon 2018 exposition.
"You are the most important thing about TwitchCon," a post made over on the TwitchCon website reads. "And while your safety has always been our top priority, this year, we’re enhancing our dedicated security and screening measures. We are working closely with San Jose’s local law enforcement, convention staff, and additional security services."
There are several key changes to the security policy: "all attendees will be subject to bag search and security screening at all designated entrance points;" attendees will only be allowed to bring a single bag with maximum dimensions of 12" x 15" x 6"; and all attendees will be required to wear their TwitchCon badges within all areas of the event. Naturally, the policy also states that no functional weapons are allowed, period — no BB guns, no toy projectile weapons, no explosives, no hard prop weapons, no whips, and no excessively loud instruments.
Cosplayers will still be allowed to bring mock weapons assuming they meet certain criteria: they must be made of cardboard, foam, or other lightweight materials, and they must not be so realistic as to be mistaken for real weapons. For more information, be sure to read through the official TwitchCon weapons policy.
There are some lesser rules in the mix too, some of which are worth spelling out, like how attendees will be required to carry a valid form of photo ID at all times. To get the full details, be sure to head over to the safety and security update featured over on the TwitchCon website.