US game developer Blizzard Entertainment removed a professional gamer from a โGrandmastersโ competition for the video game Hearthstone on Tuesday after he made a statement supporting the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, CNET reported.
Why it matters: Blizzardโs action sends a message that the company is serious about enforcing its tournament guidelines, which prohibit participants from engaging in any act that brings them โinto public dispute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damagesโ the California-based companyโs image.
- The move highlights the complex politics that non-Chinese companies must navigate when operating in the country.
Details: During an interview on the official Taiwanese Hearthstone stream, Chung โBlitzchungโ Ng Wai shouted โLiberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!โ in Mandarin while wearing a gas mask.
- Blizzard also cancelled Blitzchungโs prize money and banned him from Hearthstone competitions for 12 months.
- In an interview with Polygon before his ban, Blitzchung acknowledged the divisiveness of his comment, stating that โThere will be definitely be negative consequences.โ
- Blizzard is facing backlash from US government officials, with Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon commenting that โNo American company should censor calls for freedom to make a quick buck.โ
- There also appears to be displeasure within the company as well, with part of a statue on its campus being covered to hide the words โThink Globallyโ and โEvery Voice Matters.โ
Context: Blitzchungโs ban comes as the NBA deals with fallout from a similar Hong Kong-related speech issue.
- After Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted a picture signaling support for protesters in Hong Kong, various Chinese sponsors and partners broke relations with the team.
- NBA commissioner Adam Silverโs Tuesday statement did little to control the damage, with Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) subsequently cancelling its broadcast arrangements for the NBA preseason.
- Some have pointed to Blizzardโs ownership as a contributing factor to its decision to ban Blitzching: Tencent holds a 4.9% stake in the firm through its parent company Activision.