EA has decided to cancel the remaining Madden Qualifier events, as the company conducts a thorough investigation of the safety policies enforced at the event following the shooting that occurred last weekend. The Madden NFL 19 tournament was being held in GLHF Game Bar in Jacksonville, Florida when the shooting took place.
“We have made a decision to cancel our three remaining Madden Classic qualifier events while we run a comprehensive review of safety protocols for competitors and spectators,” EA CEO Andrew Wilson explained in a statement. “We will work with our partners and our internal teams to establish a consistent level of security at all of our competitive gaming events.”
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon when a participant opened fire, killing two participants and injuring nine other. Given the nature of the Madden NFL 19 event, several players were streaming their gameplay and caught instances of the shooting, but those were swiftly removed from Twitch.
Reports indicate that the shooter was David Katz, a participant of the event from Baltimore, Maryland. Katz was a member of the team representing the Buffalo Bills.
In the wake of the tragic incident, information surfaced regarding Katz’s character, specifically his gaming habits. According to divorce filings filed by the suspect’s parents, it was reported that he played video games “obsessively.” Katz’s gaming habit started to take a negative toll on other aspects of his life to the point that he “refused to go to school or bathe.”
After EA’s decision to cancel the remaining events lined up for Madden NFL 19, other activities related to video games are now taking precautions to ensure that safety will be the highest priority. The organizers of the upcoming PAX West convention, which will be held in Seattle, Washington in a few days, issued a statement promising increased security for the safety of all participants, exhibitors, and staff.
The shooting incident that transpired last weekend is a sad reminder of how a single action can have a significant impact on the lives of people who were merely attending a video game tournament. Our thoughts are with those whose lives are forever changed.
Source: US Gamer