Blizzard removes HK Hearthstone Champion and takes away his prize to please China

[Nefarious Tea]

Yeah just like government-run concentration camps for [insert religious group] would NEVER happen today.

Allow me to clarify: Something like china trying to sweep it under the rug would never happen

[Wermys]

To be honest. This is probably going to end up on John Oliver. China being dumbasses. 2 huge american companies and how they handled the respones and how different they are. This is right up his alley.

[apustus]

Allow me to clarify: Something like china trying to sweep it under the rug would never happen

Yeah because they don't need to sweep it under the rug anymore. No one ain't gonna do shit about it anyway.

[Ausr]

Yeah because they don't need to sweep it under the rug anymore. No one ain't gonna do shit about it anyway.

Exactly. They're so transparent about what they do and they don't give a shit.

[derpkitteh]

Yeah. That will surely help free Hong Kong. What kind of drugs are you taking? You act like Blizzard has some magical way to liberate Hong Kong.

What exactly are you doing for the people of Hong Kong? Posting your bullshit on the Internet doesn't help them. Put up or shut up.

Get on a plane to Hong Kong, then get back to us. Until then, STFU.

blizzard is american. it shouldn't be upholding the ideals of anti-freedom pieces of shit like the PRC.

it oughta be flatly illegal to even do business in china as an american company. the fact that a senator spoke out about this is good, and i hope something can be legally done to them for this.

fucking filthy greed-driven dogs, this is why i want reigns tightened on corporate america, THIS is what "free trade" gets you, fucking bastards like this stepping on american culture to appease a foreign government.

[Awe]

This "my voice doesn't matter" is the reason the world is in such a shitty state. Don't give up like a little bitch as you are doing. Actually DO something. One fist in the air is nothing. Ten thousand changes things. Why do you think China hasn't moved their ACTUAL military into Hong Kong? The world would fucking WRECK them if they tried that with the number of protesters there are. Something like Tiananmen Square will never happen again; the world is long past the ability to keep secrets.

And yet Putin drives into Crimea with tanks and "the world" doesnt give a damn. Something like Tiananmen Square may happen even tomorrow and nothing will happen. Yeah, the world is past the ability to keep secrets but strong dont have to keep secrets. USA might fly in and bomb the shit out of some third world country and nobody will give a shit. Same with China. If they will decide to march an army into HK they will and nobody will stop them.

[Malikath]

And yet Putin-

has got armed protesters calling for his head in moscow, might not want to swagger-brag about someone who'll be VERY lucky if they survive through 2020.

[Megor96]

To be honest. This is probably going to end up on John Oliver. China being dumbasses. 2 huge american companies and how they handled the respones and how different they are. This is right up his alley.

Reminder that it was mostly the liberals fault for Trump becoming president because instead of fighting him with logic and facts they instead insulted everyone who didn't agree with them and made dumb memes. John Oliver especially played a roll in this type of behavior.

[Melsiren]

blizzard is american. it shouldn't be upholding the ideals of anti-freedom pieces of shit like the PRC.

it oughta be flatly illegal to even do business in china as an american company. the fact that a senator spoke out about this is good, and i hope something can be legally done to them for this.

fucking filthy greed-driven dogs, this is why i want reigns tightened on corporate america, THIS is what "free trade" gets you, fucking bastards like this stepping on american culture to appease a foreign government.

It is absolutely disgusting, more people should be angry about this.

[shadowmatrix]

Choice 1 - Ban Blitzchung and make the players mad.
Choice 2 - Say nothing, make China mad, and screw over all the Chinese players who had nothing to do with the interview.

No win situation as you get dragged into a protest you have zero personal stake in.

[Deus Mortis]

Fuck Blizzard and Fuck China, glad to see the blowback happening. It is also nice to see both Republicans and Democrats call out the NBA and Blizzard for their bullshit.

[Malikath]

Choice 1 - Ban Blitzchung and make the players mad.
Choice 2 - Say nothing, make China mad, and screw over all the Chinese players who had nothing to do with the interview.

No win situation as you get dragged into a protest you have zero personal stake in.

how about we take this hard decision away then? and just ban all trade with a tyrannical regime?

[Jtbrig7390]

LOL people still popping veins over this?

Its simple if you are going to boycott, make sure you do a blanket boycott for every company that does business there. And don't give me that crap that well we can control that we need our phones and such for work, you either are going all in or like others said kindly ... stfu.

The level if ignorance is fucken amazing in this post.

If someone was all in in boycotting china they literally would have nothing and that likely includes the house over their head.

You can choose what devils to deal with and how to deal with them. I need my phone and any adult who is actually working and providing for a home needs a phone, I don't need a blizzard Product.

Me buying Blizzard (or any other game company's) product is not unconditional, You cross my moral line I don't buy your product.

[Stormdash]

That's a bit harsh. Blizzard already banned him. Insulting him is going too far.

What he did may have been stupid, but he has already been punished.

Obviously referring to the company. Although maybe not only the company now.

[Nefarious Tea]

has got armed protesters calling for his head in moscow, might not want to swagger-brag about someone who'll be VERY lucky if they survive through 2020.

Out of curiosity, do you have a source for that?

- - - Updated - - -

And yet Putin drives into Crimea with tanks and "the world" doesnt give a damn. Something like Tiananmen Square may happen even tomorrow and nothing will happen. Yeah, the world is past the ability to keep secrets but strong dont have to keep secrets. USA might fly in and bomb the shit out of some third world country and nobody will give a shit. Same with China. If they will decide to march an army into HK they will and nobody will stop them.

The problem, as always, is that the only people who can fix what is wrong with the world are what is wrong with the world.

- - - Updated - - -

Reminder that it was mostly the liberals fault for Trump becoming president because instead of fighting him with logic and facts they instead insulted everyone who didn't agree with them and made dumb memes. John Oliver especially played a roll in this type of behavior.

Grossly and disingenuously oversimplifying made more ironic by the fact that John Oliver isn't even American.

[Anarkon]

I don't understand the uproar around this issue.

People seem to forget for example Colin Kaepernik and his "bent knee" as a protest that resulted in him opting out of contract and effectively ruining/ending his career.
I believe he lost much more than this esport fellow and that's just the most recent example in a long series of incidents of people in sports losing grants/victories/ world records even olympic medals.

So, in the grand scheme of the world, business as usual, move along and don't mix politics and sports regardless how fair or just the cause.

just my 2 cents

[Axxil]

Why did the interviewers get fired?

They told him to say it again in Mandarin.

[Megor96]

Grossly and disingenuously oversimplifying made more ironic by the fact that John Oliver isn't even American.

I don't see how him not being born American changes the fact that he is an incredibly influential voice in the political news cycle. He gets millions of views whenever he discuss American politics and feeds his mostly liberal viewers a very one sided narrative.

[Budong]

Well first of all....Fuck Authoritarianism

But let's be fully honest here and not sensationalist idiots....A person used a "foreign" platform for their political views, such platform has rules and regulations...that didn't get written on the spot mind you and are well established....such person faced the consequences of their action.

A-I admire his courage....whether knowingly or not...to state his believes, did he think there was not going to be any action?....freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.

B-To the social media warriors crying foul all around about big bad company Blizz. and bowing to china and the denying freedom of speech....yada yada yada....you REALLY might want to learn a thing or 2 about our own "FREEDOM" here USA side....there is a reason we rarely to mostly never find say players in NFL/NBA...etc. or just everyday business make a political/controversial statements while being active on the clock and with contract....money talks and rules and regulations overtake their "freedom" of speech.

C-Those who naively think that Blizz. could/should have stood up for him.....man I would love to see that dreamland you live in....might as well believe apple/google/EVERY OTHER CORP. doing in businesses in/with china should stand up for every nitty gritty personal belief or social injustice....that is not how reality works, no one will drop a billion dollar business for a random...

D-To the overzealous boycott crowd.....well done and good for you, but if you don't mind could you boycott every other company that works with china to send a real message? That Iphone you are using to tweet your rage is made in china, that screen you are looking through has 90%+ components made in china if not fully....tell you what, go through your house and check everything with a made in china tag or has 60%+ components from china...and boycott and toss them out, time for a reality check....

E-IF that statement was on anything other than HK and the ties to china as whole....how many would make the same reaction I wonder? I am betting if some player stated some political statement for say the current Iraqi/Palestine blight....most of those "activist" against china all of a sudden will turn and demand no politics in their video games.

Get your rational pragmatism out of here. Unchecked rage and hyperbole only please.

[PACOX]

Blizzard just showed the world that as an American company they'll sell you out to the Chinese government.

I would have been one thing if they fined him for political speech or something. I dont agree but now 100% throwing the guy under the bus. They straight up took his money. He might have violated some rules but he still won. Don't invite him back, fine him, but dont just take all the money from him.

This is a purely financial move and consumers, players, gamers, streamers need to recognize their power. Blizzard, and massive corporations like Blizzard, only understand money. They will their values and yours to the highest bidder. They can only do that if you allow it. Throw your hands up, and youre surrendering yourself and your money to this behavior.

Blizzard makes video games that aren't even original. Stop being little e-fiends.