ESPN and ABC have decided to delay a televised broadcast of the X Games Apex Legends EXP Invitational in wake of the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. The event was scheduled to air this weekend, but esports insider Rod Breslau said ESPN decided to schedule it for another date in respect to the victims in the shootings.
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
CNET reported the new dates for the X Games Apex Legends EXP Invitational are Oct. 6, Oct. 15 and Oct. 27 and it will air on ESPN 2.
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APEX Legends is a free-to-play battle royal video game where players have to use any means to survive. Guns and other various weapons are featured in the video game and it became an instant hit as the game had 50 million users by the end of its first month going live. It’s available for Playstation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.
The mass shooting in El Paso took the lives of over 20 people while the mass shooting in Dayton took the lives of nine. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump said video games are one of the reasons the mass shootings are occurring.
“We must recognize that the internet has provided a dangerous avenue to radicalize disturbed minds and perform demented acts. We must shine light on the dark recesses of the internet and stop mass murders before they start. The internet, likewise, is used for human trafficking, illegal drug distribution and so many other heinous crimes. The perils of the internet and social media cannot be ignored and they will not be ignored,” he said.
“We must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace…It is too easy for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence. We must stop or substantially reduce this and it has to begin immediately.”
This is not the first time a video game tournament has been postponed or canceled due to a shooting. Last year, EA shut down the last three qualifying events in a Madden Classic competition after three people died and 11 people were injured in a shooting in Jacksonville, Florida.
