Foam pits sound like fun on paper, especially ones that have elevated platforms where people can duke it out American Gladiators style, but the promotional foam pit area that was created by Intel and Lenovo was the opposite of fun, as people who dived in ended up getting seriously injured.
Several streamers and attendees who entered the pit ended up suffering back injuries, severely sprained ankles, and dislocated knees. One streamer broke her back so badly she needs to go in for surgery to have a rod placed in her back after landing on her tailbone. Worse yet, the pit was reportedly remaining open for a time in spite of the injuries, though it was later shut down both due to injuries and because attendees were “breaking rules.”
Those who were at TwitchCon report that the foam pit itself was extremely shallow, saying that it was “three cubes deep” and only went up to one person’s knees; for context, one gym supply store suggests that foam pits should be at least seven feet deep. Maybe Lenovo and Intel should stick to manufacturing computer parts.
“For the ppl asking why did u jump. Don’t try and turn me into the bad guy,” she writes. “I am among all those who assumed it was met with proper safety precautions. It’s like getting into a car assuming the air bag will work and it doesn’t. I’m not at fault. None of the victims injured are.”
According to Kotaku, Twitch and Kairos Media haven’t issued any statements, although Lenovo now has.
