Upon reaching TwitchCon 2025 at the San Diego Convention Center, participants encounter stringent security protocols. Bag checks are implemented, backpacks are prohibited, and metal detectors are operational. Access to various areas requires wristbands, which frequently fail, and security shows no leniency.

In spite of the considerable security presence, creators express feelings of insecurity, and there is a legitimate reason behind this apprehension.

Emiru, a YouTuber and Twitch streamer boasting nearly two million followers, was attacked during a meet-and-greet on the inaugural day of TwitchCon. Although Twitch insists that “safety and security” is its “top priority,” Emiru felt “hurt and upset by how Twitch managed the situation both during and afterward.”

“I can’t comprehend how he was permitted to reach me in the first place,” Emiru wrote in a post on X.

In a video shared on X, an individual approached Emiru, seized her, and tried to kiss her. She pushed them away before her personal security stepped in. Emiru remarked that nearby TwitchCon security personnel did not respond and allowed the individual to escape.

“The woman escorting me away is my own personal manager, and behind the booth, the only individuals checking on me were her and my friend. None of the TwitchCon staff inquired about what had happened or if I was alright,” she wrote.

After the video circulated on social media, Twitch announced on X that it “instantly banned this individual from returning to the TwitchCon venue, and they are indefinitely prohibited from Twitch, both online and at in-person events.” Emiru labeled this a “blatant lie.”

“He was permitted to walk away from my meet and greet, and I didn’t hear he was apprehended until hours post-attack, and it seemed this action was taken only due to my manager advocating for it, not because TwitchCon staff regarded it as serious,” she wrote.

Twitch did not respond to Mashable’s request for clarification on the conflicting narratives.

Emiru also noted that this incident comes after TwitchCon previously banned her “favorite and usual security guard” for “restraining a stalker’s arm to escort him to police” at a former event.

She now declares this will be her final TwitchCon and advised others against attending in the future.

“I felt neither cared for nor protected, despite bringing my own security and staff,” she wrote. “I can’t fathom how creators lacking those resources would feel.”

This isn’t the first occasion TwitchCon has been criticized for security shortcomings. In 2024, several Kick-aligned streamers disrupted the event, targeting Twitch-affiliated creators on-site. This year, major streamers, including Valkyrae, QTCinderella, Hasan Piker, Disguised Toast, and Yvonnie, publicly declared they would not participate due to safety worries.