The newly unveiled EVE Online monument was defaced within hours of the end of this year’s Fanfest, reports Polygon.
The vandals are apparently a real-life group belonging to the in-game player alliance of griefer’s called Goonswarm.
In gaming a “griefer” is a player who deliberately harasses or irritates other players, often by using aspects of the game against regular players.
Goonswarm, a faction known for griefing other players, have in the past made repeated attempts to break the game through events like planned suicide bombings and attacks on the Eve economic hub.
Goonswarm’s insignia, a bee in a helmet smoking a cigar called “Fatbee”, has been stuck on the face of the monument in an act of vandalism.
Additionally, another EVE Online player going by the name Gaius Homerson scratched the name of another player – Xenuria – off the face of the monument.
CCP Falcon, an EVE Online Community Manager, has responded to the vandalism on the game’s forums stating that CCP is already looking into the matter and plans to take legal action where necessary.
“What’s happened is absolutely disgusting,” Falcon wrote. “It’s an insult to the entire community and is clearly the work a person who believes that behaviour in a virtual world is a valid reason to make a real life personal attack on someone, and deface public property. We will not tolerate this.”
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