CCP bans three EVE monument defacers from its games - statement

EVE Online developer CCP Games have "permanently removed" three players from its services, after they defaced a statue erected in Reykjavik to honour the MMO's pilots.

Earlier this week, we reported that the EVE statue had been vandalised, leading to involvement from Reykjavik police officials. It was revealed that the perpetrators has etched out the name of a player they had issues with, an act CCP called, "absolutely disgusting."

Now, CCP_Falcon confirmed that the responsible parties had been identified, and wrote on the studio's forum, "three individuals have been permanently removed from the EVE Community.

"A total of 7 EVE Online accounts, and 1 DUST 514 account belonging to them have been permanently banned. Another individual who was indirectly involved in the vandalism has received a 6 month ban from EVE Online on their sole registered account.

"The four individuals involved are also blacklisted permanently from attending future Fanfest events."

We're guessing they feel rather silly right about now.

While it's understandable that the EVE Online community will want their heads on spikes, Falcon called for calm and to respect their privacy regardless.

"While the community has been justifiably outraged and a number of people have requested that we release the ingame identities of those who carried out the act, we feel that this would be contrary to our privacy policies," he went on. "As such we will deal with this incident in line with our current policies, and the identities of those responsible will remain confidential.

"With this in mind, we now consider this issue resolved within the EVE Universe, and any further action taken outside the virtual world relating to criminal damage or recovery of costs for repairs to the EVE Universe Monument will remain confidential between CCP Games, the authorities, and those involved."

We'll have more if it transpires.

Via PCGamesN.