Many viewers of the Game Awards probably asked themselves the same questions: Who was the guy who sneaked onto the stage with the developers from From Software and what did he want to express with his incoherent speech?
What happened at the Game Awards? At the end of the Game Awards, when the developers from the studio behind Elden Ring, From Software, accepted their award for “Game of the Year”, another person who did not belong to the studio sneaked onto the stage.
After Game Director Hidetaka Miyazaki finished his acceptance speech, the young man approached the microphone and surprised both the award winners and the audience. The award ceremony was actually over, and the music was already playing that is supposed to prompt the winners to leave the stage.
What did the person say? Once at the microphone, the young man used the attention and surprise of those around him to get his message across. He was then escorted out of the hall by security.
You know, real quick, I want to thank everybody and say that I think I want to nominate this award to my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton. Thank you everybody.
You know, to summarize quickly, I want to thank everybody and want to say that I nominate this award to my reformed orthodox rabbi Bill Clinton. Thank you, everyone.
If you want to see how the scene unfolded, we have linked a Twitter post from user @matenevenoff here. The person Matan Even is also said to be the one who crashed the Game Awards. However, his identity has not yet been definitively established.
What is known about the person? Shortly after the incident, viewers began speculating about who had just stolen the show and what the message was all about. Some users on Twitter noted that, due to the message, the person might belong to the Alt-Right circle.
Others defended the interrupter and even indicated that they knew the identity of the person. The well-known gaming journalist Jason Schreier has since been able to interview the person. You can read his assessment in the linked tweet.
If the person on stage is indeed Matan Evan, it would not be the first time he has used the attention from press events for political messages. In 2019, Matan Evan made headlines during the “Free Hong Kong controversy” at Blizzcon. On his social media channels, he draws attention to the discrimination against Asian Americans and police brutality.
What happened next? Geoff Keighley, the host of the Game Awards, confirmed via Twitter that the suspicious person was arrested by the police.
Nevertheless, many questions remain unanswered: How could an uninvolved person so easily gain access to the stage? What is the meaning of the incoherent message? It is clear that security measures at the Game Awards will probably be a bit stricter in the future.
Did you miss the Game Awards? No problem! We covered the award ceremony in a ticker – there you will find all the awards, trailers, and announcements at a glance!
Game Awards 2022: All trailers, announcements, and winners at a glance
