Evony’s community is mourning the loss of a loved one after asking police to investigate

Evoni has a reputation in the broader MMORPG community for being a bit of a lark, thanks to a now-old and long-held marketing ploy (Play Now, My Lord) that attempted to lure players into what is essential for a strategy game to have provocative characters . So you might be as surprised as we are (and our tipster was!) by this tale that ends in tragedy for a player and her friends, but still demonstrates the power of community in even the strangest of games.

According to British media, when 36-year-old Lauren Black suddenly stopped communicating with friends Evoni, they sounded the alarm; Her playmate in Israel called the Scottish police and apparently her dog walker later discovered she had died. Police are now investigating her death as “unexplained”. She has survived two children and her parents who suggested she had long suffered from COVID.

“Lauren and I have spoken every day for the past four years, so it was very upsetting to me and other online family members that she didn’t reply to my messages or log into the game,” says her Israeli friend Eyal Elhadad.

“After being unable to make contact for almost two days I was left with no choice but to call the police in Scotland and also their dog walker. I begged her to check on her as we were all so worried. I just wanted to know that she’s okay. […] I was devastated to learn that she had died. I couldn’t believe it, I still can’t. Right now there are hundreds of people around the world crying over their deaths. The outpouring of love I saw was incredible.”

We’ve seen quite a few stories like this with happier endings over the years; In 2018, VR gamers helped a fellow player who visibly collapsed while playing, and in 2020, a seizure victim was saved by the quick thinking of a Texas gamer who convinced British authorities to intervene from across the pond. Our condolences go out to Black’s family and friends, as well as to the general public Evoni community.

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