Just days after the company announced that it planned to unveil the games coming to the PlayStation 5 in a special digital showcase, Sony has decided to postpone the event to a later date in support of the protests against police brutality happening in many cities across the US.
“We have decided to postpone the PlayStation 5 event scheduled for June 4. While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard,” Sony wrote in a message to fans on Twitter.
Sony did not provide a new date for the event. It was expected that Sony would unveil the first-party exclusives coming to the PlayStation 5 as well as a list of the third-party titles that will fill out the console’s lineup of games. At the moment, there are only a few confirmed PS5 games, few of which are actually launch titles.
The company also released a statement showing support for the protests and marches taking place in Minneapolis, New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle, and many other cities in the country.
“We denounce system racism and violence against the Black community. We will continue to work toward a future marked by empathy and inclusion and stand with our Black creators, players, employees, families, and friends. #BlackLivesMatter”
Electronic Arts also announced that it would delay its Madden 21 gameplay reveal in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The reveal was originally scheduled for today, June 1.
“We had committed to celebrating Madden NFL 21 with you, but we’re not going to do that now,” EA said in a statement.” We stand with our African American/Black community of friends, players, colleagues, and partners. Our immediate attention is on actions we can take to drive change against the unjust treatment and systemic bias that is plaguing the nation and our world. We’ll find another time to talk football with you. Because this is bigger than a game, bigger than sports, and needs all of us to stand together and commit to change.”
EA, which previously came under scrutiny after removing a mention of blacklisted NFL quarterback and peaceful protestor against police violence Colin Kaepernick from a Big Sean song in Madden 19, told Kotaku that the company is “launching additional resources and community conversations for our employees that are taking place beginning today with multiple sessions through the next week, and we will be working with non-profit organizations committed to social justice initiatives to donate both volunteer time and funds to fuel the fight against racial injustice.”
The publisher did not provide a new date and time for the Madden 21 gameplay reveal.
The protests against police violence and gross racial inequality began after the death of George Floyd, who was killed while in the custody of white police officer Derek Chauvin, in Minneapolis on May 25. Chauvin was captured on video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over 8 minutes while Floyd pled that he couldn’t breathe. The killing sparked protests in Minneapolis that spread to other cities through the weekend. Many of these demonstrations, such as the ones in Minneapolis, New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, turned violent when police officers began using tear gas, mace, and rubber bullets against the crowds.
Chauvin was taken into custody on May 29 and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He’s scheduled to appear in court in June.
If you’d like to help those affected by police brutality or support the Black Lives Matter movement and those that stand against injustice, here’s a guide to charities and foundations you can donate to as well as petitions you can sign.