Japanese police have charged the man responsible for sending death threats to Nintendo, which resulted in the cancellation of the Nintendo Live Tokyo event earlier this year. According to reports in Japan’s Kyoto Shimbun newspaper, a 27-year-old suspect from Ibaraki Prefecture was charged with forcible business disruption after he sent 39 threats through an inquiry form on Nintendo’s website. The threats, sent between August and November last year, included threatening messages such as “I will make you regret letting such a crappy game out into the world” and “I will kill everyone involved.” One threat directly targeted the Splatoon Koshien 2023 National Finals, threatening violence against participants and staff.
Nintendo prioritized the safety of its customers and staff after receiving the threats, leading to the cancellation of both the Splatoon event and Nintendo Live Tokyo. The company said it was consistently the target of threatening behavior, extending beyond its staff to include event attendees.
