Electronic Arts had decided to cancel the three remaining Madden Qualifiers Tournaments in light of a tragic incident. The company had decided that they will review what is needed for their future tournaments.
In a statement released by EA CEO Andrew Wilson, "While these qualifying events are operated independently by partners, we work with them to ensure competitive integrity and to gather feedback from players. 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 had pledged its focus to work with their partners and internal teams to review and improve their security. It should be noted that EA was not necessarily responsible for the security of the venue, however, they decided that they will bring in resources to make sure tragedies like the Jacksonville shooting never occurs on their events again.
Andrew Wilson acknowledges the two tragedies of two pro-players, Taylor "SpotMePlzzz" Robertson and Elijah "TrueBoy" Clayton. Both of them are major players of the pro scene and Wilson had pledged EA's support and condolences to their families.
With Madden's competitive season for the year looking uncertain, EA's decision to cancel it was one of their many initial steps to step back and review the current climate and how their competitions work with security to ensure that players, staff and fans remain safe.
Other Esports such as Overwatch, Dota2 and League of Legends picking up the steam for their respective events, it would be prudent that organisers and game companies also review their security protocols to ensure the safety of everyone attending the events. This that occurred in an esports event that was meant for fun and entertainment was already one too many.
What do you think about the security of what tournament organisers can do to ensure the safety of everyone attending the event? Should there be more involvement from not only the gaming industry but governments as well for safety?
