The two casters who interviewed Blitzchung have also been fired from the company, despite physically ducking under their desks.
If you aren’t clued up on the events that have transpired in Hong Kong over the last four months, it might be time to get informed, particularly as ramifications are extending beyond Hong Kong streets and into mainstream pop culture.
The protests are now the largest in modern history and have outgrown their initial spark, which was to publicly reject a proposed bill that would allow extradition to China. After this was finally withdrawn in September, activists began demanding a fully-fledged democracy and a thorough investigation into police brutality.
As the unrest continues to spiral, companies are being forced to acknowledge the issue and respond to individuals within their ranks who voice their support. This has led to public criticisms toward corporations for self-censoring themselves in order to appease lucrative Chinese markets.
Blizzard’s removal of prolific gamer Blitzchung from its competitions is public punishment for expressing a political opinion, and we should hold the company accountable for a weak and profit-fuelled move. This situation highlights many brands’ unwillingness to even remotely offend China’s communist government for fear of losing out on big bucks – and that’s a serious problem.
What actually happened?
Blitzchung, a successful Hearthstone player, expressed support for the Hong Kong protests during an Asia-Pacific Grandmasters broadcast over the weekend. The two interviewers he was talking to quickly ducked under their desks – but it wasn’t enough to shield them from a ban. You can view the incident below.
After the broadcast, Blizzard promptly fired both interviewers and banned Blitzchung from entering any tournaments for twelve months. They also revoked all of his prize money from the current competition and removed him from this year’s finals.