Twitter has made a name for itself by banning users who have innocently used words or phrases that the social media platform automatically picks up thinking they’re real threats. Another person has fallen victim to this, but this time it was about killing Sean Bean in IO Interactive’s Hitman 2.
Hitman 2 is a game about assassinations and of course, Sean Bean had to get involved in the sequel, after all, he just can’t seem to pass up an opportunity to get killed. Sean Bean himself arrived in Hitman 2 as the titles first Elusive Target Mark Faba, meaning that for a certain period of time he’s available to assassinate in the game world.
One person on Twitter, “The Fat Consoler” or known by his handle, @TheFatConsol3R was obviously getting ready to jump onto Hitman 2 and hunt down Sean Bean. Maybe he wanted to stand a chance at unlocking the explosive pen, or maybe he just wanted to ensure Sean Bean successfully dies in yet another project he’s involved in.
Twitter, however, obviously picked up, “killing Sean Bean tonight then” and permanently suspended the account thinking it was a legitimate real-world threat. Here’s the screenshot from VG247 that shows the Tweet plus the suspension notice.
According to VG247, the user has tried to get his account reinstated, but Twitter has so far ignored emails. Considering Twitter has a gaming account it’s odd that they haven’t been following the social timelines of people talking about hunting down Sean Bean in a video game.
Hitman 2 is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The first Elusive Target is due to end on December 4.