The MMORPG Black Desert ran a Halloween event that actually lasted until November 2nd. should last. But on October 30th, the team announced that the event and all promotions in the online role-playing game would be cancelled. This step was decided after the terrible events that happened in Seoul on Saturday.
Trigger Warning: The News describes a tragedy in Seoul that has left people dead. A tweet is embedded that shows images that can be disturbing.
What happened in Seoul? Halloween was set to be celebrated in the capital of South Korea on October 29: it was the first time since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions that people in Korea could celebrate the festival.
Apparently a lot more people came to the celebration than anyone expected.
Eyewitnesses report that the streets were crowded with people who actually only wanted to celebrate Halloween (via CNN): In the Itaewon nightclub district, the crowds were very close together in narrow streets.
People pushed like in a crowded subway – pushed and shouted
According to CNN, an eyewitness said the streets were like a “full Saturday night subway train,” with people so crowded it was difficult to move. People started pushing and shoving, and there was a lot of screaming. The eyewitness was able to get to safety and also saw that others had climbed buildings to survive.
The people’s costumes would have added to the chaos of the situation. The eyewitness says there was a police officer there who shouted, but it was not known if it was a real police officer because so many people were wearing costumes.
According to reports, a mass panic broke out in the crowd and people were trampled to death. CNN says the Interior Ministry told them 154 people had died, including 97 women.
In the wake of the tragedy, a national mourning period has been declared in South Korea, which is expected to last until November 5, during which time public events will be suspended, public buildings will fly flags at half-mast and public employees will wear ribbons to express their mourning.
Meanwhile, authorities should determine how exactly it came to the mass panic. The cause of the mass panic is still unclear.
Black Desert says: They say they are suspending all ongoing Halloween events and promotions in the face of the “terrible news”. The fans are asked for their understanding and express their condolences to all those affected.
What are other MMORPGs from South Korea doing? As PC Gamer reports, a current event at Lost Ark continues. But this is more of a “general fall event” and not an event that is specifically designed for Halloween.