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Forty-year-old Kenichi Hiratsuka has been arrested after allegedly sending a threatening message to Square Enix.




Fuji Network News reports that the message was sent via Square Enix’s inquiry page. “Gimme my money back for your shitty game,” read the message. “Want me to do a repeat of Kyoto Animation?”

In July, a suspected arsonist allegedly lit gasoline in Kyoto Animation’s Fushimi studio, kill ing 35 employees .


Hiratsuka has admitted to sending the message, telling authorities, “I was pissed after losing at a game, so I ended up sending the message.” According to Jiji Press, the game was for smartphones. Authorities did not discover any gasoline or other flammables at the suspect’s house.

Earlier this spring, another man was arrested for threatening to kill Square Enix staff. At the time, the suspect reportedly said, “I spent over 200,000 yen ($1,794) on the game and I didn’t get the [in-game] item I wanted so I sent the email out of revenge.”