Blizzard Entertainment has removed professional player Chan blitzchung Chung Ng Wai from the Hearthstone Grandmaster tournament after he supported the current anti-government protests in Hong Kong during an interview over the weekend.
In a blog post, Blizzard Entertainment stated that Ng Wai violated the rules of the competition and noted that players are not allowed to "engage in any activity that, in Blizzard's sole discretion, brings a player into disrepute, offends a section or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard's image." ". In a video interview he gave after his victory over South Korean Jang DawN player Jang Hyun Jae, Ng Wai shouted "liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our century!". This video has now been removed, but the recordings are circulating on the Internet.
He also donned a gas mask and goggles similar to those worn by Hong Kong protesters before masks were banned from demonstrations last week. Ng Wai has been removed from the tournament, will not receive his prize money, and will not be eligible to play in Hearthstone tournaments for 12 months starting October 5, 2019. The two hosts who interviewed Ng Wai were also punished, with Blizzard Entertainment saying it would "immediately stop working with both."
Speaking to IGN following Blizzard Entertainment's decision, Ng Wai said, "I expected Blizzard's decision, I think it's unfair, but I respect their decision. I don't [regret] what I said. I shouldn't be afraid of this kind of white terror." The portal asked the player to clarify what "white terror" means, to which Ng Wai replied: "This is a description of anonymous acts that create an atmosphere of fear."
At present, passions continue to heat up. Players boycott Blizzard Entertainment by refusing its games, and in the subreddits of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, StarCraft and other projects, users vigorously discuss and criticize the company's decisions. The community is also confident that Blizzard Entertainment's actions are related to the fact that the Chinese company Tencent is its shareholder (owns 5% of Activision Blizzard).
Dissatisfied with the actions of Blizzard Entertainment and the company's own employees. The slogans "Think Globally" and "Every Voice Matters", located on the bas-relief at the entrance to the main office, were pasted over by someone.
Source: 3dnews.ru