After politician and EVE Online player Brian Schoeneman was accused of leaking confidential information and committing insider trading, it has now been revealed that he is innocent.
What happened? Allegedly, the politician and lobbyist of the North American “Seafarers International Union” Brian Schoeneman leaked confidential information about the MMORPG EVE Online.
Schoeneman is a big fan of the space online game and a member of the Council of Stellar Management (CSM). This player association works closely with the developers at CCP Games and is the first to learn about updates and changes to the game in order to provide feedback.
Schoeneman was accused of exploiting his position at the CSM to commit insider trading. CCP Games even banned him. However, the politician expressed outrage and stated that he is innocent.
Innocence Proven
That’s why he was unbanned: CCP Games stated that they have thoroughly reviewed the situation. No evidence of misconduct by Schoeneman could be found.
The developers apologized to the politician. There was no indication that the NDA was violated and that he – along with two others – had profited from the insider information.
CCP Games wants to compensate the affected players now. Moreover, the developers also apologize to the EVE community, who have also expressed outrage over the situation. The ban was enacted too quickly, and a thorough investigation should have preceded it.
A Breach of Trust by the Developers
Here is how EVE players are reacting: The EVE community is currently very upset about the situation. Despite the apology from CCP Games, criticism is abundant.
Agent_Orange7 remarked on Reddit: “If CCP has failed so badly with a CSM member, just think of all the “nobodies” who were wrongly banned…”
For the players, this is a severe breach of trust from the EVE Online developers.
How does Brian Schoeneman respond? The politician stated that he is now stepping back from the CSM and needs time for himself and his family, as the entire situation has taken a toll on him.
However, he wants to remain loyal to EVE Online and may run for a position in the CSM again someday.
