APEX Legends Tournament Won’t Receive TV Broadcast In Response To Mass Shootings
This weekend commenced the APEX Legends EXP Invitational by XGames. However, tension and heartache is high in the United States right now. In addition to rising pressure on socio-political issues in the country, multiple mass shootings have been reported recently and it has left many of its citizens on high alert. The current presidential administration has been cited blaming video games as the source of violence. There have been various response to the high tension and that includes the APEX Legends tournament deciding to not broadcast the event on TV.
In response to the recent tragic events, ESPN and ABC decided that the APEX Legends EXP Invitational won’t receive time on air. Instead, it will be delayed until October, according to Bloomberg. This was their message to the public:
ESPN and ABC has made the decision not to air the TV broadcast of the XGames Apex Legends EXP Invitational that was scheduled for this weekend, in response to the recent mass shootings, according to an ABC Affiliate TV station source pic.twitter.com/6BMwdbk93t
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 8, 2019
The APEX Legends EXP Invitational already occurred, but the plan was to have it broadcast on television this weekend on ESPN. In light of recent statements from the US government, companies believed it would be in bad taste to continue as planned.
It’s also been reported that Wal-Mart stores have been instructed to take down video games and related displays to violent video games. Folks who identify with the gaming community beg to differ with the current sentiment that video games causes or incites violence. In fact, according to the co-owner of both the Sacramento Kings and NRG Esports, Andy Miller believes this is a distraction from the real issues in the USA.
I’ll jump in. I straddle both worlds. The whole blame game is a joke. Blaming video games is a “look over there” move instead of a “look at ourselves” reflection. Our leaders are an embarrassment on gun control. Time for the video game generation to stand up and do something. https://t.co/MG0v5by6XW
— Andy Miller (@amiller) August 4, 2019
There differing voices and opinions on the matter, but it looks like the tragic events that continue to occur in the United States are not being addressed and now it’s reeling various industries into the issue. Passing on the question to you: do you think the blame lies with video games or is there a large issue that the country needs to address? Should the APEX Legends tournament have been broadcasted anyway? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or start a conversation on Don’t Feed the Gamers Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming and entertainment news as it happens, follow us on Twitter! Here are some of our latest:
Hoi Duong2131 Posts
Hoi is an elusive figure at DFTG, whose favorite past-times include chillin' in the Fade, reading manga, watching anime, collecting novelty items, and gaming.
