A MONTH after the CONQuest 2023 fiasco, AcadArena owners Ariane Lim and Kevin Hoang issued their respective public apologies on the event that drew a lot of flak and criticism from the community.
Their statement was posted hours after CONQuest published a statement which drew a lot of negative backlash from the community.
As said in their initial statement, "To some degree, we still consider this year's CONQuest as a success. The overall public reception was eye-opening and the engagement was humbling."
In response to thier statement earlier, both Lim and Hoang retracted what they initially said.
"No it wasn't a success," said Ariane Lim, to which Kevin Hoang followed up by saying, "This event was not a success. Period."
And given the controversy caused by AcadArena's convention, the organization agreed on one specific move that would shock the esports and gaming community.
It was announced that CONQuest will cease to exist.
"That said, we will be retiring the brand CONQuest Festival and reassessing our approach with how we produce events moving forward," said Hoang on his Facebook page.
Lim added: "We aren't just offering an apology. We are enacting change. You're not the only ones who doesn't want another next year."
What's next for AcadArena?
Given the magnitude and scope of CONQuest 2023, both AcadArena owners gave hints on their next course of action. The limited venue space in the Philippines is a concern as well as the overall behavior of the community.
"The core of the problem is a programming to venue incompatibility and a lack of understanding of the Filipino audience. 'People weren't dispersing enough.' Well, no shit. It takes us 3++ hours to get home. If I'm a fan, I will camp for more just to see my idol," started Lim.
And with CONQuest being a massive spectacle, the execution was something that the team needs to reflect on.
As Lim pointed out: "It's unacceptable that that's the core of the problem we've arrived at. Basic, eh. We wanted to talk about premium when we can't even talk about the basics."
Hoang added: "This event ballooned because of our own pride and desire to produce the biggest show for the Filipino communities, while lacking the ability to execute and not understanding the fandom that is here."
"The experience that we wanted to create did not live up to our standards and your expectations."
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