While two of the best British Tekken 7 players were dancing off for a spot in the grand finals at EGX Arena 2023 on Oct. 15, three oil protestors walked onto the main stage and vandalized the fighting game setups with orange paint.
During the series between Hasan “JoKa” Rehman and Kane “KaneAndTrench” Heartfield, supporters of Just Stop Oil, a controversial environmentalist group based out of the United Kingdom, slathered orange paint on both players’ monitors. A third activist followed that by shooting more paint out of a Super Soaker—with many fans questioning how that was allowed into the event venue.
All three individuals have reportedly been arrested for criminal damage by local police, according to a Just Stop Oil spokesperson. Additionally, the group has confirmed this as another attempt to draw eyes to its cause in fighting new fossil fuel licensing and production agreements in the UK.
“Video games let us escape into new and exciting dimensions, but real world physics are about to deliver the deaths of billions,” a Just Stop Oil spokesperson said. “Put more carbon into the atmosphere at this point and it’s game over. Gamers co-operate to win, and we need these skills to survive. Everyone must step up and join in civil resistance against new oil and gas, because this isn’t a game. Let’s unite to make this world safe, so that we can get back to exploring cyber worlds.”
Just Stop Oil, which notes EGX 2023 sponsor Barclays Bank and the recent uptick in oil product promotion in video games like Fortnite as a key reason for this protest.
Unfortunately for the activist group, its continued use of vandalization and disruption methods of protest to stand out has garnered it a mixed reputation despite many people agreeing with its messaging on climate change. The FGC was not thrilled with having one of its events interrupted and vandalized by those looking to use the community, with a majority of people calling it “disrespectful” to a grassroots scene.
As pointed out by Games Aid co-chair George Osborn, the video game industry widely supports a “global program for decarbonization,” and many of the younger players are supportive of efforts to combat the climate crisis. Thus, using FGC events, which small groups typically organize without aid from major corporations, is doing nothing but turning people away from that cause.
The tournament did conclude despite the disruption, with JoKa taking a 3-1 win over Richie “Ayorichie” Olusanya to take home $3,647.39 and 300 points for the Tekken UK-Ireland Championship circuit.
