Despite winning the Hearthstone Grandmasters Tournament last weekend, Ng Wai "blitzchung" Chung was banned and had his prize money rescinded by Blizzard Entertainment, with the reason being that he donned a gas mask and exclaimed, "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!" during his interview in a show of support for the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, who now fight against the growing influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
People inside and outside the gaming community -- including politicians and Blizzard employees -- called for a boycott of Blizzard and its games. It has become one of many companies falling under intense scrutiny on suspicion of being heavily influenced, in one way or another, by the authoritarian CCP and its restrictive policies on expression. Blizzard Entertainment President J. Allen Brack recently attempted to assuage tension by releasing a statement about last week's event in a blog post.
Brack attempted to assure players that despite appearances, Blizzard still adheres to its core values to "Think Globally; Lead Responsibly; and importantly, Every Voice Matters." Brack claimed, "Our relationships in China had no influence on our decision," and that it was not Chung's political stance that caused the ban, but the fact that politics was discussed at all. "If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same," Brack wrote.
The statement also included an admission that Blizzard's handling of the situation "wasn't adequate, and we reacted too quickly." Having been given a week to listen and reflect, Brack announced that for Chung, those at Blizzard "now believe he should receive his prizing," and that while the ban was still in effect, it would be reduced from a whole year to just six months. Brack acknowledged that "for some this is not about the prize, and perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. That is not our intention."
Whether or not this compromise will succeed in regaining lost players remains to be seen. With the current political tension surrounding Hong Kong, neutrality is increasingly seen as a sign of submission to the CCP. In recent weeks, the NBA, Apple, Google and other notable brands have come under fire for reportedly stifling support for pro-democracy protesters for the sake of protecting financial interests in China.