EA Japan reminds users to report User Agreement violations in wake of “Apex Legends Hostess Club” incident
On July 7, EA Japan released a statement on X reminding users of its User Agreement regarding Apex Legends and its other games. This sudden reminder is likely related to the Apex Legends Hostess Club X account that was created last week and quickly started trending in Japan.
EA Japan’s stern warning against unauthorized use of their products was retweeted by EA Japan’s General Manager Shaun Noguchi, who called on players to report any illegal or inappropriate usage of EA’s games.
Although neither post addresses the Apex Hostess Club incident directly, it is highly likely that this is what prompted these reminders. The saga of “Kyabakura” or Hostess Club-style accounts popping up on X began at the beginning of July, when an Overwatch-themed Hostess Club account began posting. The account offered paid services carried out by its female staff, aimed at male players of Overwatch 2’s online multiplayer. The account disappeared from X on July 3, with Overwatch 2’s official Japanese account suddenly posting a reminder about not using the game for unauthorized purposes. Hours later, an Apex Hostess Club X account popped up offering even more overtly adult-oriented services.
This quickly attracted much attention on the Japanese side of X, with many users finding the situation amusing. The Apex Hostess Club reported that it had received many direct messages about its services. It seems EA has dealt with the Apex Hostess Club in a similar manner to how Blizzard tackled the unauthorized usage of Overwatch 2. The Apex Legends Hostess Club account could be said to have violated several points in EA’s User Agreement, including “2. License,” which specifies non-commercial use only, and “Rules of Conduct,” which prohibits posting messages for any purpose other than personal communication.
Incidentally, at the time of writing, the X account still exists but has changed its name from “Apex Kyabakura” to the more generic “Game Kyabakura.”