Square Enix Cancels Tournaments After Receiving Death Threats

Square Enix has decided to cancel several Starwing Paradox tournaments the publisher had planned in the wake of death threats which were directed towards the company’s employees. These tournaments featuring the mech battler arcade game were originally scheduled to take place in Japan on August 17th and August 24, but Square Enix announced in a statement on its site that the tournaments will no longer happen. A new date for the tournaments has not been set.

The statement shared by Square Enix on the Starwing Paradox site (via Kotaku) confirmed that the cause of the tournament cancellations is the death threats which have recently been directed at Square Enix. A translation of the statement indicates that several death threats have been sent to Square Enix over the course of a few days. The statement also said that Square Enix has been working with the police in the wake of these threats and after “careful discussions” with the parties involved, Square Enix has opted for safety first and will not be hosting the tournaments planned for this weekend and next.

Square Enix closed its statement by apologizing for those affected by the tournament cancelations and thanked Starwing Paradox fans for their understanding.

This is the latest development in a series of situations involving recent threats against Square Enix. Earlier in the month, a man was arrested for allegedly sending Square Enix a message wherein he threatened an arson attack against Square Enix similar to the one afflicted on Kyoto Animation. The attack against the animation studio left numerous employees either dead or injured.

Starwing Paradox, for those unfamiliar, is an arcade game where players pilot mechs and do battle against one another in two teams of eight. These mechs consist of both short and long-range offensive capabilities and can be customized in different ways to alter playstyles. The arcade game also notably boasts animations produced by Sunrise, the studio known for its work on properties like Mobile Suit Gundam, Inuyasha, and Cowboy Bebop.