Blizzard Suspends Hearthstone Player For Hong Kong Support, Pulls Prize Money

[Nefastus]

Blizzard truly disgraced itself with this one. While they push for "diversity" at west they fully suport a bloothirsty regime at east. How is that not contraditory? I was truly thinking about coming back to wow after almost a decade but I am really unsure now. This is plain evil.

[Orange Joe]

Ok, where's our organ harvesting camps for minorities?

Thats your definition of diversity? Not harvesting organs?

[kasuke06]

Thats your definition of diversity? Not harvesting organs?

not really,my personal definition is not giving a shit about what marks people as different. Just pointing out that while the west does have it's stumbling blocks, people defending china's actions don't have a leg to stand on.

[AidanJLowe]

Sounds like the rules were just a means to an end not the cause, and from what I have read China makes up only 12% of Blizzards profits and are by far the biggest detriment to the game and its economy with their forced labor gold farmers and hackers.

Tencent a Chinese company that answers to the Chinese government owns a 5% stake in Activision, and speculation is they tossed their weight around to make this happen.

If true, this will likely cost Blizzard a lot more that the 12% of their profit they protected kowtowing to the Chinese government.

I understand China holds a lot of revenue for Activision Blizzard but you put any organisation in that position, doesn't mean they support the Chinese Government. A business is a business and regardless of the subject matter action would of been taken against someone who clearly defy's rules.

If nothing was done when a person clearly states their political views on a stream with Blizzard marked all over it that shows to outsiders they are in direct support of what that person is stating therefore that's why rules as such need to be in place. He defied that and rightfully penalised, this would of happened anyway.

Again they penalised him and it backfired but that's the society we live in today, I mean one film director says something from 5 years ago on Twitter and he's cancelled. Cancel culture and boycotting are a pathetic trend in society today.

[rhorle]

They did. Sorry but you nor blizzard gets to fence ride. You both chose your sides.

So there is no way to remain neutral? It is either for or against? That is dumb. And now you are saying I am in fully support of CCP because I don't want to bash Blizzard for enforcing rules? The amount of hate to have blinded you such is astounding.

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There's nothing "neutral" about that... especially considering the extremity of the punishment for said "rule broken". If he had a 6 month ban, tops, I'd possibly agree with you. But to have his entire rank and winnings witheld? That's downright vindictive, excessive and unnecessary based purely on the rules they're using. EDIT: and, as others above pointed out - the mere act of punishing for a political view (especially when it wasn't calling out for violence) IS a political stance via Blizzard.

The mere act is not a stance. They punished exactly as harsh as the rules said would happen. Rules that have existed for years with no one caring about at all. It is entirely possible to remain neutral and stay out of it. Blizzard has done that by enforcing exactly as the rules state and not making any other statements. Not bending rules. Not going beyond the rules.

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You still have made a choice

A choice to remain neutral is not a choice to support one side over the other. Of course they made a choice. But to crucify them over remaining neutral is to be just as bad as the CCP. Because you are essentially saying that anyone who doesn't think like us is terrible even if they didn't support the enemy.

[Big Thanks]

So there is no way to remain neutral? It is either for or against? That is dumb. And now you are saying I am in fully support of CCP because I don't want to bash Blizzard for enforcing rules? The amount of hate to have blinded you such is astounding.

Soon as the kid opened his mouth, Blizzard was put in a situation where they HAD to pick a side.
There was no escaping it.
There was no "neutral" option Blizzard could have taken.

The mere act is not a stance. They punished exactly as harsh as the rules said would happen. Rules that have existed for years with no one caring about at all. It is entirely possible to remain neutral and stay out of it. Blizzard has done that by enforcing exactly as the rules state and not making any other statements. Not bending rules. Not going beyond the rules.

The rule can be bent in any direction.
If i said on camera "i did a poopoo in ma pants"
Blizzard could use the same rule to ban me and remove all money ive made. If they so disered.

Literally anything can be done with that rule.

[mvaliz]

A choice to remain neutral is not a choice [snip]

Excerpt from what you wrote. Anything beyond that is something you use to delude yourself.

[rhorle]

Soon as the kid opened his mouth, Blizzard was put in a situation where they HAD to pick a side. There was no escaping it. There was no "neutral" option Blizzard could have taken.

Except that is what happened. They didn't support China with their move. They didn't punish him because China didn't like what he said. They punished him because he agreed to a rule and broke that rule. China is irrelavant to what Blizzard did. You have no proof that they would have allowed it if it was some other political statement. Not to mention you went from attack blizzard, to defending them, to now attacking them again.

Bending a rule is taking a stand. Yes Blizzard could use the same rule to ban you and remove the money you made. Which is why you don't say stupid shit if it could break the rules. Though given your flip flop and arguments from ignorance I do believe you would say and do that on camera.

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Excerpt from what you wrote. Anything beyond that is something you use to delude yourself.

It is not something I use to delude myself. It is possible to enforce rules without taking a side in a political argument. These very forums do it all the time. Moderating a post is not proof of taking a side for the argument in that post. It is only making the choice that it violates a rule.

[Big Thanks]

Except that is what happened. They didn't support China with their move. They didn't punish him because China didn't like what he said. They punished him because he agreed to a rule and broke that rule. China is irrelavant to what Blizzard did. You have no proof that they would have allowed it if it was some other political statement. Not to mention you went from attack blizzard, to defending them, to now attacking them again.

Bending a rule is taking a stand. Yes Blizzard could use the same rule to ban you and remove the money you made. Which is why you don't say stupid shit if it could break the rules. Though given your flip flop and arguments from ignorance I do believe you would say and do that on camera.

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It is not something I use to delude myself. It is possible to enforce rules without taking a side in a political argument. These very forums do it all the time.

You are not understanding the open endedness of the rule...

Imagine i made a rule saying "Forbidden to say naughty things to me"
And someone told me: "Hey your hair doesnt look that great today. Maybe a different shampoo?"

I could pretty well use MY rule...because i said so...because i choose that to be a "naughty" things.

You make it sound like this is "CLEARLY" a rule break. Well...it isnt.

[Nagawithlegs]

They seriously need to make a public statement before they lose all their western support.

[rhorle]

You make it sound like this is "CLEARLY" a rule break. Well...it isnt.

It clearly breaks the rule. You equating his statement to telling someone they need to try a different shampoo shows how little you can understand. Even more so when yesterday you were clearly saying it broke the rules after you learned where it took place.

LOL only now i realized what people are asking of Blizzard...and i think is really unfair.Basically...people wanted Blizzard to disrespect the country...the same country that ALLOWED Blizzard to host a tournament in their land. People wanted Blizzard to make a stand? To fight for revolution? To literally say "fuck you" to the country that allowed the tournament to take place on. I think this is a little unfair to Blizzard :S

[Big Thanks]

It clearly breaks the rule. You equating his statement to telling someone they need to try a different shampoo shows how little you can understand. Even more so when yesterday you were clearly saying it broke the rules after you learned where it took place.

I thought the event was hosted in China.
I didnt know Taiwan is NOT part of "mainland" China.

In fact, the Taiwanese government is the biggest supporter of Hong Kong protestors...did you know that?

[JohnBrown1917]

They seriously need to make a public statement before they lose all their western support.

Most people don't care enough.

[Varlak]

So the NBA stand behind their poeple and defend liberty of opinion but blizzard just suk ars and ban someone expressing an opinion agaisnt totalitarism and dictatur.

I guess they failed so hard in the past year that they must bow to the chiniess since they left the occidental world behind.

[Vash The Stampede]

The main line of bold, with a direction underlined. Blizzard's image is on the line once a tournament contract uses Blizzard's media to spout out political messages.


Don't get me wrong, it is horrible of things going on but we're on the line of bureaucracy here.

Firstly, that statement is vague as vague can get. Secondly, didn't Blizzard ruin their image by siding with the Chinese government? Look at all the meme coming out of this. Have you seen the memes? What's more important to Blizzard, what China thinks of them or what the west thinks of them? Cause right now, the west does not like what they see. I was gonna jump on Classic but them private servers seem like the most ethical choice now.

[Big Thanks]

Today was national day in Taiwan
And by the president's speech, Taiwan has absolutely no problems in shit talking China.
The president just gave the most agressive speech towards China ever in her career.

So the idea that Blizzard had to do this because it was disrespecting the country where the tournament was being hosted...is wrong. I was wrong.

Also Taiwan is one of the best supporters of Hong Kong protesters.

Proof:

Taiwan has been one of the strongest sources of overseas support for the Hong Kong protesters, amid growing international condemnation of aggressive tactics used by city leader Carrie Lam's Beijing-backed government.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/ea...n-national-day

So Blizzard didnt had to do this. It was not disrespecting the country where the tournament was being hosted.
IMO ofc

[Danner]

Soon as the kid opened his mouth, Blizzard was put in a situation where they HAD to pick a side.
There was no escaping it.
There was no "neutral" option Blizzard could have taken.

I disagree.

A reaction was warranted. As a company, you don't want politics in your tournaments.
So say you get to choose what that reaction should be.

Your options are:
- Cut the stream
- Ban the player
- Fire the streamers
- Confiscate the player's winnings
- Go out on chinese social media and proclaim your company's dedication to defend the pride of the country.

I think we all agree on #1 being a right action. Whether you support Hong Kong or not; a heartstone tournament is not supposed to be a political arena.
I think most people will concede that #2 is also a decent action. I won't object to it at least, we can discuss the length. He willfully broke the terms of participation, so there should be some punishment.
I can even defend #3 to some degree. They were clearly in on it. But there is a chilling effect here. And I do not like that. If I was in charge, I would have told the casters in private that we won't use you anymore after participating in that stunt. Not in public.
I have a big problem with #4. That's just vindictive. This kind of reaction makes total sense if the player was cheating, but not as a reaction for a political stunt.
And nobody should think #5 is the correct behavior. That is very much choosing a side in a highly political situation.

Blizzard did all five. Or their partner in China, NetEase, did. I honestly don't know at this point.

#1 is a very small reaction.
#1+#2 is a good reaction.
#1+#2+#3 in the backroom is a good reaction.
#1+#2+#3 in public is chilling.
#1+#2+#3+#4 in vindictive. That is the company taking a political stand.
#1+#2+#3+#4+#5 in worth severing your relationship with the company over over.

[Nagawithlegs]

#5 is the wrong look at it because it was not the Blizzard we know who made the propagandaesque media post. If there is a statement from Blizzard they will likely disavow that posting.

[Kallisto]

Firstly, that statement is vague as vague can get. Secondly, didn't Blizzard ruin their image by siding with the Chinese government? Look at all the meme coming out of this. Have you seen the memes? What's more important to Blizzard, what China thinks of them or what the west thinks of them? Cause right now, the west does not like what they see. I was gonna jump on Classic but them private servers seem like the most ethical choice now.

Why not choose both or shoyuld the west ban chinese players until they die in a failed bloody revolution

[Yunru]

https://www.pcgamer.com/riot-denies-...0&ns_fee=0

Following accusations that it banned the full name of the League of Legends team Hong Kong Attitude, Riot Games has denied that it's told casters to instead use 'HKA', instead chalking it up to internal confusion over whether the full name or the abbreviation should be used.

When viewers noticed casters correcting themselves midway through saying the team's name, changing it to HKA, comparisons were made to Blizzard's recent removal of a Hearthstone Grandmaster for his support of Hong Kong protesters in a post-match interview. Several clips were collected in a Reddit thread, though the full name of the team was still displayed and mentioned elsewhere.

Riot is owned by Chinese publisher Tencent, which also owns a much smaller stake in Blizzard, leading to accusations that it had pressured Riot into censoring casters, even though the name isn't related to the Hong Kong protests. In a statement from Riot posted by community lead Ryan Rigney, it denies this is the case.


....weird....
But it does look like a small cenzorship.