As a former law enforcement officer turned esports journalist, I have a pretty unique perspective in some particular areas of this space. Having worked in a jail environment, patrol environment, and being trained in executive protection protocols, the mass shooting incident that occurred on August 26, 2018 in Jacksonville, FL at the GLHFBar has demanded that I write this in an attempt to reach any tournament organizer that will listen. It is my belief that there are good people in the industry with different companies and different budgets that, after understanding what happened, will need to change their security protocols. Even events on small budgets can find ways to increase security.

However it isn’t just tournament organizers that need to have a better understanding of security protocols, but esports organizations themselves. This has to be a cultural change and we can’t let the fact that some fans might get upset be an obstacle in making venues safer for everyone involved.

With esports gaining in popularity every day, the once niche esports celebrity known only to people who follow the scene is quickly turning into a celebrity on a national or global scale. And as their fame grows, the amount of people who follow also grows, meaning that, by sheer numbers alone it increases the possibility that someone out there wants to hurt you after a perceived slight on social media or whatever else some minds will concoct.

Take for instance Richard Lewis, formerly of ELEAGUE, and host of numerous ELEAGUE events including the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ELEAGUE Boston Major. It was at the Boston Major that Lewis would need added protection. Here’s how he explained it, “I’d received a number of threats in the build up to the event and our head of security conducted an investigation into some of them. A few flags came up for some of the individuals and so it was deemed necessary to have increased security for me at an event where I’d be facing the crowd.”

Lewis wasn’t the first and certainly won’t be the last in terms of needing extra security at an event. And while there are too many caveats to pursue in just one piece such as this, there is one overarching theme that I believe can implemented quickly and do the most good.

Reduce Fan Accessibility in Public Areas

The accessibility of esports players, coaches, and org members to fans has traditionally been one of the big reasons why esports has been so successful. People like access. At numerous events I have personally attended, players walk around in general areas in between matches saying hello to other competitors, friends, and fans. In fact, in a lot of cases, it’s actually forced upon the players as there is no private walkway for competitors to move to and from the stage without having to go through public areas. This places tournament participants in situations that they have very little control over.

Daniel Clerke, the General Manager of eUnited, agrees. “One of the things that made esports so unique was the accessibility of players to fans,” Clerke said. “As this industry grows, this is something we will have to part with for the sake of security. Players, owners, and staff will need separate entrances and exits from general admission. It is very overwhelming to be in a room full of people who know you, but you have no idea who anyone is. Safety should be the number one priority.”

In fact, at The International 8 that just took place in Vancouver, B.C., I arrived and somehow found an elevator that took me directly to the venue main floor and walked around inside without a badge for about 30 minutes. Not one member of the security team challenged me or asked why I did not have a badge. I had access to the team areas, the media room, everywhere I went–all without a badge. However, I did the right thing, went outside and procured my media credential and reentered.

On top of this, one of the unfortunate realities in esports is that there are quite a few players and coaches that smoke. Traditionally, the only place they have been able to smoke has been outside, in the front of the venue where there is a lot of foot traffic by fans and others. This is something else that needs to change, for more than just security reasons though.

Understandably, larger tournament organizers with bigger budgets can afford to hire security professionals to do the job for them. However, there are a few organizers with limited budgets using smaller venues. This doesn’t mean you don’t have security. Work with the venue to find a solution

In the meantime here is an absolutely bare bones way to look at security.

Having a set of security protocols that everyone understands, including fans, is paramount to success. While I won’t go into great detail, there are three zones security professional talk about when running an event. The Outer Zone encompasses areas such as parking structures and other off-site areas. The Middle Zone is that area between the Outer Zone where ticket holders make entry and the Inner Zone is inside the venue itself. Here is a very basic outline of what a security plan should include if doing this yourself: Identification system (badges), zone control plan, situational awareness training, arrival and departure protocol for participants, participant and fan movement inside venue, reaction plan.

And, actually, we can dumb this down even more.

Control all the entrances and exits, allowing nobody that doesn’t belong to enter while doing at least a precursory search of EVERYONE that enters the venue.

If you can’t do the above, hold the event at another location.

Add More Controlled Fan Interactions

If we are going to do what is necessary to better ensure the safety of everyone at an event, inevitably, fan access to players will continue to dwindle. With this in mind, organizers should add more controlled fan interactions such as signings, picture areas, and other activities. You can give fans access, but it must be on your terms.

These areas need to be controlled as well and the impetus to create a secure environment in these types of fan engagement falls on the shoulders of both the organizers and the esports organization itself. Both groups need to have representatives controlling the area, enforcing rules agreed upon by all parties.

It’s Much More Complicated and Sadly You Can’t Stop Everything

Look, I get that the things I am showing you here are much more complicated and have much more depth, but this can definitely get you headed in the right direction and get you to think more critically about event security. There is, though, a sad reality that you will not be able to stop everything. If a person is hell-bent on doing something sinister, you may not be able to stop it, but you certainly should be able to reduce the amount of damage that the person in question wanted to do. It’s a sad reality, but one we have to deal with.

*Title Photo Courtesy of DreamHack