People 'Roofied' At Downtown San Francisco Gaming Industry Party, Organizers Say

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

<https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/people-roofied-at-downtown-san-
francisco-gaming-industry-party-organizers-say/>

At least four people were allegedly “roofied” at a private party for
gaming industry professionals at a Downtown San Francisco karaoke bar
Thursday, the event's organizer and attendees said.

The event followed the annual Game Developers Conference, a massive gaming
industry gathering that was held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center from
March 20-24.

One game developer who attended the party and spoke with The Standard on
the condition of anonymity said they believed their drink was spiked
around 1 a.m. and that by 1:45 a.m. they were starting to feel unwell.

“I was having a hard time talking and staying conscious,” the game
developer said.

The developer made it home safely but said they still felt inebriated
around 10 hours after they had stopped drinking. By Sunday afternoon, an
enduring brain fog that led them to believe they were drugged had finally
gone. They did not get tested.

Guy Blomberg, who co-organized the private party at Pandora Karaoke & Bar,
acknowledged that drink-spiking is common at game industry events.

“I'm furious this not only happened, but that it tends to happen so
frequently that it's become almost commonplace. It's NOT fucking ok or
acceptable,” Blomberg tweeted Saturday.


The party at Pandora Karaoke & Bar was not affiliated with any video game
company or association, but was organized privately by Ty Taylor, director
of independent game developer Quantum Astrophysicists Guild, and Blomberg,
founder of Games Industry Gathering, a membership group for gaming
industry professionals, they said. Pandora Karaoke & Bar on Mason Street
was contacted for comment, but did not immediately respond.

READ MORE: Another Blow for Downtown SF as Major Tech Conference Moves
Away

Four Victims
Taylor said four people had their drinks spiked at Pandora Karaoke & Bar
Thursday, and said he knows of two other people who had their drinks
spiked at two other industry-affiliated events elsewhere, one on Thursday
and one the following night. The Standard has not been able to verify the
reports but spoke to several sources who claim to have knowledge of the
incidents.


Taylor also tweeted that it’s possible people may have snuck into the
party and that plus ones were admitted who were not named on guest lists.

The game developer who spoke with The Standard said that the karaoke bar
opened to the public at 1 a.m., so by then anyone could have entered the
bar and spiked their drink.

“It very well could have been a non-industry member,” the game developer
said.

Taylor said the victims he had been in contact with all made it home
safely.

“All four of the victims from our event have been in touch with either Guy
or I,” Ty said. “This is an enormous issue in the game industry at our
events, and it sickens and infuriates me. Reading the Twitter remarks of
how many women and marginalized people are afraid of attending events at
all is deeply troubling, and things absolutely need to change
immediately.”

The game developer who alleges they had their drink spiked said that the
incidents can go unreported for fear of survivors being “doxxed” or blamed
by others.

“Someone could say, ‘Oh, that person drinks a lot.’ People want to stay
anonymous for fear of being criticized for other reasons,” the game
developer said.

An out-of-state police station confirmed a report was filed Monday
relating to a case number provided by the developer The Standard spoke to,
but no further details about the report were provided. The Standard is not
naming the location of the police station to protect the victim’s
identity. San Francisco Police Department could not find any incident
reports relating to Thursday night at the karaoke bar.

‘Exhausting and Infuriating’


Attendees register at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco
on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. | Jeff Chiu/AP Photo
Following the event and announcements of the allegations on social media,
further accusations of drink-spiking at gaming industry events surfaced.
Multiple accounts said they had been spiked at game industry events or
knew others who had.

“Can we seriously talk about the spiking going on at GDC over the last few
years? One lassie had been spiked on both visits and no longer attends,”
tweeted Kim MacAskill, who works for PlayStation. “This isn't a one-off.
This is continuous, growing and being allowed to do so.”


“As women / femme presenting people, we shouldn't have to prepare for the
worst, especially by peers who we should feel safe around. It's exhausting
and infuriating,” tweeted Julie Elven, a freelance vocalist who says she
frequently works in the gaming industry.


The Game Developers Conference said they were not involved with the event
at Pandora Karaoke & Bar where the alleged drink spiking took place
Thursday, and condemned alleged drink-spiking and assault at game industry
events.

“We are very upset to hear that some people, especially women, reported
concerning experiences during the GDC week at off-site events, including
assault and drink spiking. This is outrageous and unacceptable; everyone
has a right to feel safe,” the GDC said in an emailed statement.

Taylor said that in an effort to identify who may have spiked drinks
during the event at Pandora Karaoke & Bar, he and co-organizer Blomberg
are cross-referencing guest lists from another party where someone
reportedly had their drink spiked and are trying to get video footage from
the karaoke bar.

Taylor said over email that he plans to be much stricter about guest lists
and security at the door for future events he organizes, and plans to buy
disposable drink covers and testing strips in bulk.

“If we find the person(s) responsible we're not going to be subtle or
quiet about it—no matter who they are, they will be held accountable,”
Taylor tweeted Monday.

Garrett Leahy can be reached at Gar...@sfstandard.com


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