Blizzard says its ties with China aren’t a factor in ban of pro-Hong Kong protests Hearthstone contestant
- Company chief says tournament competitor’s views in official interview were divisive and took attention away from the game
Defending the decision on Saturday, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack said the company’s relationship with China was not a factor.
“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,” Brack said.
“If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same.”
Blizzard stripped competitor Ng “blitzchung” Wai-chung of his prize money and banned him from competitions for a year after he shouted “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” in Mandarin during a live-streamed interview in Taipei on October 5.
Ng, who represents the Asia-Pacific region and was wearing goggles and a gas mask, was being interviewed on an official competition broadcast channel after won a crucial match at the Hearthstone Grandmasters tournament.
He pulled down his respirator to broadcast his message. The online stream was cut off mid-interview soon after and the video has since been taken down.