The world was recently rocked by the news of a shooting which took place during a Madden tournament in Jacksonville, USA.
Following the devastating event, EA Games has announced that they will be setting up a fund for the families affected.
— Electronic Arts (@EA) August 30, 2018
In a statement on Twitter, the page confirmed: “The events last week in Jacksonville will impact the gaming community forever.
“We can’t begin to understand the pain so many are going through, nor do we pretend to have all the answers that will help us through the healing process.
“But as so often is the case, our community inspires us. The way you are coming together, and the outpouring of support for all those affected by this tragedy, is incredibly uplifting.
“We want to join you.
“So today we’re establishing the Jacksonville Tribute.
“First, we’re making a $1 million contribution to support the victims of last Sunday’s events. We’re also working to set up a fund where others can contribute alongside our donation, and we will come back very soon with further details.
“Contributions will go to the victims, including families of Taylor Robertson, Elijah Clayton, and all those who were affected.
“We would also like to help by bringing the gaming community together, and uniting in play, through the Jacksonville Tribute Livestream next Thursday, September 6.
“We’ve heard from so many of you that you would like to support the victims, and to show that this horrific event will not define us, but only serve to make our community stronger.
“We’re already working with many of you to help make this happen through the livestream.”
As Twitter flooded with tributes, gaming giants including EA, Bethesda, Square Enix and more posted their shock at the murders.
The Square Enix family would like to extend our deepest condolences to those affected by the tragic events in Jacksonville. The video game community has always been a strong pillar of support and now, more than ever is the time for us to unify against such senseless violence.
— Square Enix (@SquareEnix) August 27, 2018
Square Enix tweeted: “The Square Enix family would like to extend our deepest condolences to those affected by the tragic events in Jacksonville.
“The video game community has always been a strong pillar of support and now, more than ever is the time for us to unify against such senseless violence.”
We stand with our gaming community and express profound sympathy for everyone affected by the tragic events in Jacksonville. pic.twitter.com/GuL0qOYHdm
— Marvel Games (@MarvelGames) August 27, 2018
Marvel Games also tweeted the following: “We stand with our gaming community and express profound sympathy for everyone affected by the tragic events in Jacksonville.”
We share our deepest sympathies to the victims and the Jacksonville community. Gaming brings us all together & we will support efforts from the @EA family however we can.
— Bethesda (@bethesda) August 26, 2018
Bethesda offered its support to the community, writing: “We share our deepest sympathies to the victims and the Jacksonville community.
“Gaming brings us all together & we will support efforts from the @EA family however we can.”
To support the families of those affected in yesterday’s tragedy in Jacksonville, we will be doing a Madden charity live stream this Friday from 2PM-8PM CT
All donations made during the live stream will go to aid families of the victims.
More info coming soon.— OpTic Gaming™ (@OpTicGaming) August 27, 2018
Others are working to raise funds for those affected, including the people at OpTic Gaming, who will be running a Madden charity live stream.
The CEO of EA, Andrew Wilson, posted an emotional statement to the EA website, where he commended the talents of two of the people who lost their lives.
He wrote: “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.”