GTA actor says the catastrophic convention of the Games in Florida ‘Sets Con in Comic-Con’

Final weekend, numerous play followers traveled to Tampa, Florida to take part within the Nationwide Sport Exhibition. The Conference, in its first 12 months, promised conferences with actors such because the Grand Theft Auto V, Pink Useless Redemption 2, and Mortal Kombat, in addition to earlier voices after Nintendo’s Peach and Bowser, the composer of Donkey Kong Kirkhope, and way more.

As an alternative, attendees and congress have been handled in empty halls, lacking expertise, a photographer with out present and … camels?

The nationwide sport exhibition came about from August 8 to 10 on the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. The official web site claims to count on about 30,000 folks to take part, and promised expertise signatures, picture alternatives, vendor and a Cosplay competitors. On social media, accounts such because the reserving of well-known expertise and voice actors like Ned Luke (GTA V) and Rob Wiethoff (Pink Useless Redemption) promoted their appearances within the Conference. Wiethoff, who performs John Martston, worn out a particular zeal with some preliminary pleasure of “thrilling information” that harassed followers about some sort of exclusivity information – nevertheless it turned out that he was merely speaking a couple of Pink Useless Redemption 1 and a couple of Caste in Expo.

Nonetheless, that reunion was … disorganized, to say at the very least. The entire congress was disorganized. Regardless of the excessive nationwide Gaming Expo guarantees, followers paid $ 40 for a one-day ticket, $ 90 for the weekend, and appeared in a really barren occasion, as revealed in varied photographs and movies on social media:

So this was my first idea and did nothing to count on, however that was not lastly. Do not assist Mike Wittenberg as a result of I used to be within the Nationwide Sport Exhibition and was so tough and unorganized pic.twitter.com/vgi2d7dwvd

– Plapapus 🫧 (@Plapapus) August 11, 2025

The nationwide sport exhibition was a catastrophe. The ground was empty, possibly 10 sellers. The one panel that even occurred was such a large number, Ned Luke bought McS’s job as a result of he was doing such a foul job. They cheated the celebs. And now they’re deleting their social media. @ngeshow Pic.twitter.com/3kjp8Tbzci

– Dan 🎸✝ (@husbeep) August 10, 2025

Accounts on social media mourn for the dangerous quantity and assortment of sellers and cabins, in addition to the shortage of safety. A Reddit remark complained that he had medical health insurance and T-Cell sellers and barely any connection to the video games. “It was the equal of strolling in a greater buy by searching for a sport, seeing broccoli -filled cabinets, cleaning soap for varied vehicles and components of vehicles. Then someplace behind the shop there’s an open VCR field for $ 600,” mentioned one other commentator.

Inexplicably, an attraction that it Was Current on the exhibition was … A zoo for petting, displaying a camel and another animals on the farm:

The Nationwide Sport Exhibition have to be the worst congress ever produced every thing they acquired is a camel and no video games pic.twitter.com/whoexks6ha

– perform (@funkonoki) 9 August 2025

The Conference didn’t appear simply barren. Apparently, a lot expertise that was purported to be there both didn’t seem in any respect, or appeared late or sporadically in a manner that made it difficult for followers to fulfill the actors they needed to see. Some in attendance claiming to go to the present on Friday mentioned the Pink Useless Redemption’s forged was not there in any respect, and it was mentioned that there was some mistake made with their company. Others reported that they met with the Pink Useless Redemption’s crew later, however complained that the alternatives paid with photographs with them and different expertise have been canceled resulting from a photographer allegedly employed by the non -appearing congress.

Because of this, attendees have made their emotions recognized to nationwide organizers of the sport exhibition in no matter manner they’ll. The official Congress web site on Instagram has been deleted and her Fb occasion web page has been closed, however feedback on Fb within the Florida State Fairgrounds publish on the occasion are stuffed with bored attendees. Many posters are issuing warnings in regards to the occasion organizer: CEO of Occasion Manufacturing Michael Wittenberg.

Wittenberg, who beforehand headed the nationwide warmth exhibition earlier than closing in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, started the nationwide sport exhibition this 12 months simply months after getting back from a 12 months and a half to a Dominican Republic jail. He was arrested there in 2023 for worldwide narcotics trafficking throughout a community occasion in a resort, after signing to just accept a “700 -pound pallet stuffed with promotional objects, however Dominican Sniffuan officers, Gummies and cartridges containing THC, Energetic Ingredient in Marijuana”, in keeping with CBS Information. Wittenberg says the articles in it have been all authorized federals in the USA. “Did I do know for positive issues have been on the pallet? No. However I believed it was a chance. Was I a idiot or ignorant? Sure. I wasn’t responsible. There’s a distinction,” Wittenberg mentioned on the time. “I’ve made massive conventions with these merchandise for 10 years in the primary Congress Facilities throughout the nation.”

Congress -shared warnings, nevertheless, have much less for THC and extra about Wittenberg’s historical past with conventions. In keeping with commentators, Wittenberg has beforehand led, Scammy Occasions, with some folks even coming into to say that he has did not pay staff up to now. Whereas it’s tough to discover a helpful on-line document of his previous occasions, these claims have been considerably supported by at the very least a abstract of the nationwide warmth exhibition nonetheless navigating the web. “Over the weekend I needed to exit with methods to spend time, comparable to counting the variety of steps between stands and common espresso breaks,” reads the revision by a steam workers from 2017. From o’clock to 1, not being like that, as such, I’m a sort of expression, however the 5 seconds they get to drink wouldn’t solely look forward to him when I’m operating in such a clock, such, such, I’m a sort of expression, however the 5 seconds they get to drink wouldn’t solely look forward to him when I’m not operating.

A small a part of the events concerned have already publicly commented on the scenario on the Nationwide Gaming Expo. In an announcement to IGN, Michael de Santa actor GTA 5 Ned Luke mentioned, “It was a rip-off, the boy who led him was a cone artist. He positioned the cone in Comedian-Con.”

Enterprise Authentics, who had marketed “sending” to the exhibition (letting folks ship collections to be autographed by expertise) has apologized and mentioned he would subject refunds to purchasers due to “James Burnes, Michael Antonakos, Grant Kirkhope, and others” by not attending. In a Fb remark, the corporate defined: “This isn’t the fault of the friends, it’s 100% in Congress. I might not desire to elaborate publicly, however I might not blame the friends. They appear to be simply as shocked.”

Roger Clark, Arthur Morgan’s voice, equally accepted his absence:

With my deepest apologies I say I used to be unable to attend the final day of the Nationwide Sport Exhibition immediately as introduced. My absence was resulting from circumstances exterior my management. Loopy shit man. Sorry.

– Roger Clark (@rclark98) August 10, 2025

A variety of people on social media say they participated in Congress is now making an attempt to get refunds. Some are reporting success in discussing ticket card charges or receiving refunds by means of occasions, whereas others say they don’t seem to be positive the best way to get a refund in any respect within the prospects of by no means occurred.

IGN has reached the reserving of well-known expertise (who appears to have coordinated most of the actors), Michael Wittenberg, The Nationwide Gaming Expo, Florida State Fairgrounds, Kenny James, Michael Antonakos, Grant Kirkhope, James Burnes, Take-Two (for good mass) and companies representing Roger Clark, Rob Wiethoff, and Samantha Kelly for remark.

Rebekah Valentine is an previous IGN reporter. You’ll find her publish on Bluesky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Do you may have a historical past recommendation? Ship it to rhvalentine@ign.com.