EA Cancels Madden 19 Tournament Qualifiers, Plans Safety Review After Jacksonville Shooting

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson issued a statement Tuesday about the tragic event in Jacksonville, Fla., that took place on Aug. 26. This past weekend, two people were killed and 10 were injured in a mass shooting that occurred at a Madden 19 tournament.

The shooting occurred at the GLHF Game Bar at the Jacksonville Landing when a 24-year-old gamer named David Katz opened fire on his fellow competitive gamers before shooting and killing himself. The victims were competitive Madden players Eli “trueboy” Clayton, 22, and Taylor “SpotMePlzzz” Robertson, 27.

In EA’s statement, Wilson expresses the studio’s condolences to the families of the victims, going on to announce, “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.” He adds that EA plans to “establish a consistent level of security at all of our competitive gaming events.”

Find Wilson’s full statement below.

To Our Players and the Gaming Community,

I wanted to share some thoughts about the horrific and senseless act of violence that occurred in Jacksonville at the Madden competitive gaming event. I know many of us, myself included, are filled with shock and grief. Our teams have been working non-stop to do what we can to respond to this terrible situation.

First and foremost, it is an unthinkable tragedy that Taylor Robertson and Elijah Clayton, two of our top Madden competitors, lost their lives in this way. They were respected, positive and skilled competitors, the epitome of the players and personalities at the heart of our community. Their love of competition was evident through their participation in our events over the past few years. We are committed to supporting Taylor and Elijah’s families through this difficult time, and we send our deepest sympathies to their loved ones, to those injured yesterday, and everyone affected.

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. 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 organization, 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.

Andrew Wilson
CEO, Electronic Arts