Almost a month ago, Square Enix was hit with death threats by arson. These threats came off the heels of the Kyoto Animation tragedy where the over 30 people were killed after the animation studio was also a target of arson. The tragedy reverberated across the usually peaceful country and around the entire world. When threats of a "repeat of Kyoto Animation" were made, it was a matter that couldn't be ignored. Yūichi Tanzawa - the producer and game designer that led the project that was under threat recently shined light on the incident, opening up about the threats made to Square Enix.
Tanzawa published a blog post reflecting on the incident and revealed how he felt and how the staff felt about the threats. It was an "emotionally taxing" time for not only Tanzawa, but all Square Enix employees. The Kyoto Animation tragedy proved that these things could happen and they all felt this threat was legitimate. Tanzawa is always flattered when fans have an intense love for his games - even if they might be excessive or warped, but this issue extended past him and affected everyone he worked with.
The threats proved to be difficult for Tanzawa and the Square Enix team. The company canceled an August tournament for Starwing Paradox because of the lingering death threats. Yūichi Tanzawa also opened up about his emotional and mental state after the threats. Paranoia rose inside of Tanzawa and even the smallest things caused him to feel the possible threats - footsteps behind him at night or when someone would quickly approach him. "The exhaustion built up inside of me, and I felt like I was going to break," Tanzawa wrote.
The United States is struck with violent mass tragedies often and so are other parts of the world, but Japan is typically an extremely safe country. When tragedies do happen they rock the entire country to its very core. Senseless tragedies are a rare occurrence in Japan and when threats are made against a company following a tragedy like Kyoto Animation, it's something that takes a toll on an individual. Famous Japanese author - Haruki Murakami - explored the mental state of the Japanese people in response to such tragedies in his book Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche. It's an important look at a tragic moment in Japanese history that can speak to the recent violence in Japan as well.
Only time will tell how things go in the future, but thankfully, the threats to Square Enix were dealt with before tragedy struck. Unfortunately, the lasting impacts it had on the company and Tanzawa are still felt.
Source: Tanzawa's Published Note