EGX Comes Under Fire For Sexism, Security Concerns
EGX 2023 attendees are criticising organisers and security following multiple complaints of sexism and harassment at the event. This also comes as Just Stop Oil protestors were able to disrupt a Tekken 7 tournament on the final day, spraying equipment with orange paint.
These disruptions raise significant security concerns, particularly as some panels had no security presence at all. In one instance, "intoxicated" men hurled abuse at a panel on community management, and there were no staff members on hand to remove them from the talk when they refused to leave. Overall, female attendees report feeling unsafe, calling on organisers to track abusers down and ensure security is widely available in future shows.
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Gemma Garner, senior community manager at Raw Fury, was one of the members of the community manager panel at EGX. She has shared her account of abuse from audience members, alongside a video of the incident.
"These three men in the audience of our talk were loudly making derogatory comments throughout, especially when @GeekyCassi spoke," says Garner. "When she called them out, they intentionally continued. nobody intervened.
"They said things like 'If it has a pulse and it's breathing, I'll do it' about us. They commented on our clothes and whether or not we'd expose ourselves. Talked shit about community management. made homophobic and sexist comments."
It's also been said that EGX has refused to let those affected access CCTV of the event or assist with a police complaint.
Game director Jörg Tittel has also shared his experience with abuse at EGX.
"I had a confrontation with three middle-aged men in COD hoodies, one of whom spat next to me," says Tittel. "Toxic
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