Blizzard on Saturday announced that it would reduce the ban on Hearthstone player Chung ‘Blitzchung’ Ng Wai from one year to six months and return the prize money. The company also added that this decision was not influenced by its relationships with China, admitting that it may have ‘reacted too quickly’.
To recall, the Hearthstone pro player showed up in a gas mask and goggles in a post-match interview on the Taiwanese stream of Blizzard Entertainment. In the interview, he appeared to recite a slogan often associated with protests in Kong Kong: Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time.
However, soon after the interview, Blizzard Entertainment announced its decision to suspend Blitzchung for 12 months and take back his prize money.
As expected, the news spread like wildfire and the internet was rife with anti-Blizzard sentiments. Not to mention, the front page of Reddit was dominated by the news, while the hashtag #Blizzrdboycoot was all over Twitter.
Now, Blizzard president J.Allen has shared his views over the controversy surrounding the company’s decision to axe the Hearthstone pro player and strip him of his prize money.
“The specific views expressed by Blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision. We have these rules to keep the focus on the game and on the tournament to the benefit of a global audience, and that was the only consideration in the actions we took. If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said in a statement.
Brack also added that instead of expressing personal opinions, official broadcasts need to be focused on the game.
“Over the weekend, blitzchung used his segment to make a statement about the situation in Hong Kong—in violation of rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action. Every Voice Matters, and we strongly encourage everyone in our community to share their viewpoints in the many places available to express themselves. However, the official broadcast needs to be about the tournament and to be a place where all are welcome. In support of that, we want to keep the official channels focused on the game,” further added Brack.
