The organisers of fighting game tournament EVO have notified the FBI after a Twitch user threatened a "mass shooting" at this year's tournament, which takes place in Las Vegas in August.
Tournament director Joey Cuellar said that he had contacted both the FBI and Twitch after being made aware of the threat.
We are aware of the threat that was made against Evo 2018, and have contacted the FBI and Twitch regarding this matter. We take this very seriously, and they will be punished to the full extent of the law.March 10, 2018
Cuellar made no mention of a specific threat, but the following screenshot of a Twitch chat was posted on Twitter a few hours before Cuellar's statement.
Since we’re on the topic. Idk how I feel about this. Joke or not, I don’t like this. pic.twitter.com/BbH1Zh2ltoMarch 10, 2018
The Twitter post above came during a discussion about safety at fighting game tournaments started by Street Fighter pro Chris Tatarian, who said he "never really see[s] any security" at tournaments. The issue of safety at EVO has come up before: the tournament added a 'stage trespassing' rule last year to stop fans coming up onto the stage. It attracts around 10,000 visitors.
Whether the threat is legitimate or not, we can't yet say, but it's only right that the organisers are having it investigated like it's the real thing. The tournament takes place at the Mandalay Bay Resort, the site of an attack by a lone gunman last year that left 58 people dead. The hotel has increased its security since the incident, so I'd expect this year's tournament to be more closely policed.
