French esports organization Team Vitality has confirmed that its Paris headquarters, V.Hive, was ransacked over the weekend amid widespread protests in France. The club posted that display windows were destroyed, trophies and computer equipment were stolen, and that no staff, team members, or fans were injured. V.Hive will remain closed until the full damage can be assessed.
Video clips shared on social media document the destruction. One clip appears to show people kicking in windows and taking items before throwing gaming chairs onto street bonfires. Another shows hooded and gloved looters opening gaming PCs on the sidewalk and removing RAM sticks—small, easily pocketable components that are highly valuable. The unrest was tied to demonstrations over school funding, living costs, and government spending cuts, though the looters are described as opportunistic criminals.
Following the weekend, France's Prime Minister called for local and partial curfews to contain post-demonstration rioting, and there are concerns about copycat behavior elsewhere in Europe. The Tom's Hardware report is the sole source here; it also notes that some imagery circulating online may be AI-generated, so it should be treated with caution.