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Razer's stunning prototypes stolen from CES, CEO reports

Many were impressed with Razer's showing at CES 2017, but now CEO Min-Liang Tan is left unimpressed with the conduct of some show-goers.

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Rahil Bhagat
Based in Singapore, Rahil Bhagat is a freelance tech journalist with a passion for consumer tech and startups. He is also an avid gamer and does not believe that celery exists. He tweets into the ether via @rahilmb
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Rahil Bhagat
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Razer had a great CES , wowing many with Project Valerie, a triple-screened laptop, and Project Ariana, a smart projector that makes use of the company's Chroma lighting to make your gaming experience more immersive.

But the trade show didn't have the happiest of endings, with Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan reporting that two prototype devices were stolen from the company's CES booth.

"Two of our prototypes were stolen from our booth at CES today," Tan wrote in a Facebook post. "We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue."

The Consumer Electronics Association, which runs CES, confirmed to the BBC that two laptops were stolen from Razer at the show.

Razer's Tan has not dismissed that this could be a case of industrial espionage. "We treat theft/larceny, and if relevant to this case, industrial espionage, very seriously -- it is cheating, and cheating doesn't sit well with us," he wrote.

Tan updated his post on Monday to specify that two Project Valerie laptops were stolen. The company is offering up to a $25,000 reward for information on the lost gadgets.

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It's not the first time the company has had its prototypes stolen. Razer's offices were broken into back in 2011, with thieves taking off with two laptops -- early prototypes of what would become the Razer Blade.

Both Valerie and Ariana are currently concept devices, so there's no guarantee they'll ever hit store shelves.

Update, 5:42 p.m. AEST to add information from Min-Liang Tan's Monday update, and at January 10 at 11:22a.m. PT to include corroboration from the Consumer Electronics Association.