Electronic Arts (EA) has confirmed the cancellation of other events in its Madden Classic gaming tournaments following a shooting attack in Jacksonville, Florida.
Two gamers were killed and 10 others wounded during the attack on the event, where players were competing via the Madden NFL 19 game – which is made by EA Sports.
Prominent Madden players Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton were the two gamers killed in Jacksonville, along with the gunman who shot himself after the attack.
— EA SPORTS Madden NFL (@EAMaddenNFL) August 27, 2018
Now the gaming firm’s boss Andrew Wilson has said future tournaments will be put on hold while it looks into any potential security changes that need to be made.
“The event was a qualifying tournament for the Madden Classic, our first Madden EA Major competition of this season. While these qualifying events are operated independently by partners, we work with them to ensure competitive integrity and to gather feedback from players,” he wrote on the company’s website.
“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. We will work with our partners and our internal teams to establish a consistent level of security at all of our competitive gaming events.
“We’ve all been deeply affected by what took place in Jacksonville. This is the first time we’ve had to confront something like this as an organisation, and I believe the first time our gaming community has dealt with a tragedy of this nature.
“Please take time to support each other through this challenging time.”
eSports competitions have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many major tournaments now taking place in arenas and stadiums in front of thousands of fans.
