You might have heard a while back about a special monument that CCP were planning to erect in Iceland. The Reykjavik-based monument has been up only a short time and contains the names of many, many players of their long-running game, EVE Online. So to have had it defaced within a week really seems to have struck a nerve for them.

A few days ago, a name was scratched off the monument and CCP are not pleased to put it simply. “What’s happened is absolutely disgusting. It’s an insult to the entire community and is clearly the work a person who believes that behaviour in a virtual world is a valid reason to make a real life personal attack on someone, and deface public property.” they wrote, making clear that they do not condone acts of real-life vandalism especially for reasons of personal grudges developed within the game.

A good deal of the EVE community seem to share this viewpoint, and apparently several players, including some from the culprit’s alliance have come forward to provide information. While CCP are reviewing footage from the monument, they invited the offender to come forward and make themselves known before they are caught. They would count this as a ‘gesture of good faith’ even though they still plan to take action anyway.

Three players have since been identified to have been involved with the incident and have had their accounts in both EVE and DUST banned, while a further fourth player has been suspended for six months for indirect involvement. All four have also been banned from future Fanfest events, but CCP have decided not to make the account names of the players public due to the community’s reaction to the vandalism of the monument and fear of backlash against the four.

It’s quite the reaction, but even if you think the incident is being taken a bit too seriously, you can’t deny that the defacing of a monument dedicated to a number of long-term players of a popular game is a very sad reflection on some gamers.