NeoGAF, one the internet’s most popular gaming forums and the place to go for top rumors, news, and gossip is currently down. At the time of writing, it’s been offline for almost 24 hours, and it seems like the chances of it returning aren't promising.
The closure follows accusations of sexual harassment aimed at site-owner Tyler ‘Evilore’ Malka. This isn’t the first time Malka’s found himself in trouble for inappropriate behavior toward women, and it looks like he’s facing some serious repercussions in the wake of these latest allegations.
It’s claimed that a female friend of Malka accompanied him on a road trip to New Orleans. After the pair had been drinking in the hotel room, the woman, who had a boyfriend at the time, was sick and decided to take a shower to make herself feel better. Without giving any indication that she wanted him to, and without her consent, a fully naked Malka got in the shower with her. After demanding he get out, the NeoGAF owner was hostile toward the woman. Fear that she could be blamed for the incident stopped the accuser from telling her boyfriend about what happened, but the strain it put on the relationship caused them to eventually break up.
Malka had reportedly been blocking any attempts to discuss the accusations on the forum. At least 11 admin and moderator staff have left the site, as have a large number of NeoGAF’s regular users.
Trying to access the site currently shows a message that claims it is down for scheduled maintenance. A statement is reportedly on its way, but the future of NeoGAF looks shaky, to say the least.
A number of sexual harassment claims have arrived in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations. Amazon Studios boss Roy Price recently resigned for his inappropriate behavior toward Man in the High Castle producer Isa Hackett, while a former Naughty Dog worker alleges he was fired and offered money to stay silent after reporting a sexual harassment incident, something the company denies.
