Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

EVO 2020 online tournament canceled after allegations against co-founder

Aaron Mamiit
By

The EVO 2020 fighting game championship, which was shifting to an online tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been canceled after sexual abuse allegations against co-founder Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar.

EVO 2020, which was set to feature the likes of Mortal Kombat 11, Street Fighter 5 and Tekken 7 in an online tournament that was supposed to run for five weekends starting July 4, will no longer happen after developers withdrew their support.

Recommended Videos

Mikey “Crackpr0n” Pham made sexual abuse allegations against Cuellar on TwitLonger, involving mostly young boys in the ’90s, and himself in 2001 when he was 18 years old.

The claims prompted NetherRealm Studios, Capcom, and Bandai Namco to drop their participation in EVO 2020, pulling out the games that would headline the event.

We stand in solidarity with those who have spoken out against abuse. We will be pulling MK11 from EVO Online.

— NetherRealm (@NetherRealm) July 2, 2020

pic.twitter.com/x3coSxs3UL

— Capcom Fighters (@CapcomFighters) July 2, 2020

pic.twitter.com/1QNQkvykEv

— BANDAI NAMCO ESPORTS (@BNEesports) July 3, 2020

As more participants also revealed that they will no longer join EVO 2020, Cuellar published a statement that acknowledges Pham’s accusations.

I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone. I was young and reckless and did things I'm not proud of. I have been growing and maturing over the past 20 years, but that doesn't excuse anything. All I have been trying to do is become a better person. Once again, I'm truly sorry.

— Joey Cuellar (@MrWiz) July 3, 2020

EVO 2020’s organizers then released a statement that the online tournament is canceled, and that it is cutting ties with Cuellar while placing fellow co-founder Tony Cannon in an acting CEO role.

pic.twitter.com/eUl8rF9TkC

— EVO (@EVO) July 3, 2020

Refunds will be issued to people who already paid for EVO 2020, with the organization promising to still make a donation to Project Hope.

The cancellation of EVO 2020 is the latest consequence in the series of sexual harassment and abuse allegations that have rocked the gaming industry. Ubisoft, which brought in external consultants to investigate the accusations against several employees, will revise its editorial department, among other changes, according to an open letter by CEO Yves Guillemot. Twitch, meanwhile, has started suspending streamers amid such allegations, though it remains unclear if this is why Dr. Disrespect was banned from the streaming platform.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Aaron Mamiit
Aaron Mamiit
Contributor
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
Fortnite’s Rocket Racing is so fun, it could have been its own game
rocket racing hands on impressions jumping through air

Yesterday, Fortnite began its biggest expansion yet by dropping Lego Fortnite, a full survival crafting game that's playable for free within Fortnite. It was a pleasant surprise, but it isn’t the best piece of new content coming to the live-service juggernaut this week. That honor goes to Rocket Racing, an arcade racing game from the developers of Rocket League that’s available in Fortnite today.

This isn’t a simple kart racer that anyone could have put together in Fortnite’s creative mode. It’s a full-throated, free-to-play game that features 26 tracks at launch and some surprisingly deep driving systems. While Lego Fortnite may have had trouble standing on its own two feet outside of the Fortnite client, Rocket Racing could very well have launched as its own game -- and it still would be the best racing game of its type this year.

Read more
How to get planks in Lego Fortnite
lego fortnite hands on impressions village

 

Collecting resources and building isn't a foreign concept to Fortnite players. A major part of the game, unless you're in zero build, is smacking trees, walls, rocks, and basically everything with your pickaxe to get materials to build basic walls and structures to give you an edge in battle. Lego Fortnite has its own crafting and building system, but doesn't work in quite the same way. Planks in particular are the most essential building material in the game, but you can't get them by simply whacking a tree. Here's a quick rundown on how to collect planks to build your dream world in Lego Fortnite.
How to get planks in Lego Fortnite

Read more
Where to find knotroot in Lego Fortnite
Brite Bomber in Lego Fortnite.

Crafting is at the heart of Lego Fortnite. Without the right materials, you will never be able to get new gear, build new structures, or do any upgrades. And knotroot is a key ingredient in a ton of recipes. While not the rarest of items in the game, it is at the uncommon rarity level, meaning you won't just stumble upon it very often, and certainly not enough to satisfy your need for it. Let's narrow down your search so you can collect as much knotroot as you need in Lego Fortnite.
Where to find Knotroot

Despite being a type of wood, knotroot isn't found in a tree like normal wood. Instead, you will need to head to underground caves to get your hands on some. But before you go spelunking, you will need the right tool to collect knotroot , namely an Uncommon Forest Axe, as the base-level version won't cut it (literally). You can upgrade your axe to the Uncommon level using your Uncommon Crafting Bench with three bones and three wooden rods.

Read more