Following allegations of abuse against organizer Joey Cuellar, Evo 2020 has been canceled. Likewise, Cuellar is no longer associated with the event, with Tony Cannon stepping in as acting CEO.
In a statement shared to Twitter, the company says they'll be issuing refunds for badges and donating what they'd raised to Project Hope, an international health and humanitarian organization. You can read the full statement from Evo below:
pic.twitter.com/eUl8rF9TkCJuly 3, 2020
This comes on the heels of multiple studios pulling out of the event, including Dragon Ball FighterZ and Tekken 7 publisher Bandai Namco, Mortal Kombat 11 studio NetherRealm, Street Fighter 5 studio Capcom, and Them's Fightin' Herds studio Mane6. Earlier today, Cuellar was placed on administrative leave as allegations of misconduct were made on Twitter.
Cuellar seemed to acknowledge the accusations in an apology he posted on Twitter Thursday evening. "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," the statement reads in-part.
Evo took the previously in-person event online in May due to the coronavirus pandemic.