TheEVO Championship Series 2018is seeking the help of the FBI after an anonymous Twitch chatter made a threat this past week. The threat claimed there would be a mass shooting at the EVO event, which is set to take place in Las Vegas in August.
Given the tumultuous time in both the US and the gaming industry, EVO organizer Joey Cuellar is not willing to take any chances and call this individual’s bluff, and has contacted the FBI and Twitch regarding the matter. Presumably,Twitchcan give the FBI some information about the chatter and the organization can take action.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a threat has been made against a major eSports event, and it likely won’t be the last. However, the more serious the eSports organizations take these threats then the safer attendees and participants will feel.
Threats of violence or swatting incidents are no laughing matter, especially when they endanger the lives of others. Just recently aswatting incident in Kansasresulted in the death of a 28-year-old father of two. These acts may be seen like pranks, but they put lives in danger.
EVO and Cuellar have every right to take extreme precaution with the threat, especially considering the tournament takes place at the Mandalay Bay hotel. The Las Vegas hotel was the same site as the mass shooting that took place in October of last year and left 58 dead and over 800 injured. EVO expects about 100,000 attendees for the three-day event and in order to protect its fans will now need to increase its security precautions.
EVO is easily one of the most popular eSports events each year, drawing tons of attention on-site and even more on Twitch. This year’s event promises to be even bigger, with new games likeDragon Ball FighterZjoining the mixalongside staples likeStreet Fighter 5andTekken 7.
Oddly,Marvel vs. Capcom Infinitedid not make the cut this year, but that says more about the quality of the title than it does about EVO’s crowded schedule. Also, look forSuper Smash Bros.to generate a lot of attention now that the fandom is abuzz with the recentannouncement of a Switch version.
EVO 2018 is slated to take place August 3-5 in Las Vegas.
