Can a game like Splatoon really make someone THAT mad?
A 27-year-old man from Aichi Prefecture in Japan has been arrested after allegedly sending a bomb threat to Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto.
Bomb Threat Because Of Splatoon
According to Kyoto police, the unemployed man is accused of violently disrupting the company’s business operations. The suspect reportedly sent the threatening letter in March, with Nintendo receiving it on March 16. In the letter, the man allegedly threatened to blow up the company’s building.
After receiving the threat, Nintendo contacted the police. Authorities then searched the area around the company’s headquarters, but no suspicious items were found. According to police, the man has since admitted to the charges. His motive seems to be the release of the game Splatoon. In on of his letters, he wrote: "I’ll make sure you regret unleashing this game onto the world."
More Than 39 Threats In A Few Months
This is not the first incident of its kind involving Nintendo. In 2023, a woman from Tokyo was arrested after allegedly sending a threatening letter and a fake death certificate to a Nintendo executive. In another case, a man named Kenshin Kazama sent a total of 39 threatening messages over several months through the contact form on Nintendo’s official website.
That series of threats had real consequences for Nintendo and its community. Among other things, the finals of the Splatoon Koshien 2023 tournament were postponed. Nintendo also cancelled the Nintendo Live 2024 Tokyo event, which had been scheduled for January 2024. Kazama was later sentenced by the Kyoto District Court to one year in prison, though the sentence was suspended for four years.
No Direct Connection To Nintendo
What stands out is that the known cases appear to have involved people with no direct connection to Nintendo. In some cases, the motives remained unclear. In an earlier trial, one offender said the threats were sent out of frustration with a game. The incidents show how major gaming companies are increasingly facing real-world security risks beyond online criticism.
According to experts, threats against video game companies are increasing worldwide. Well-known companies like Nintendo are especially exposed. Similar incidents have also occurred in South Korea: in 2023, the Genshin Impact Summer Festival had to be evacuated following a bomb threat. Other gaming events and companies have also been targeted by such threats in recent years.