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

[THE Bigzoman]

Does anyone here think that blizzard would have issued the ban if they didn't feel like a large part of there consumer market was in jeopardy?

Nope. Last I checked the NBA lost most, if not all their business relationships with China.

They saw what happend to the NBA and protected their money.

That doesn't make it right though.

People can take shitty mobile spinoffs, but they can't take this shit. Rightfully so.

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This man is playing with power. We need T-Shirts for the next BLizzcon that reflects their poor decisions. We should hold a contest for whoever comes up with the best slogan.

There's no need for a contest. I just thought of the best slogan--the first line of that post.



Here's a close second: Free Speech. You think you do but you don't.

[Vash The Stampede]

Honestly, playing it this way has brought waaaay more attention to the comment than if they had just ignored it and let it slide. Which is bad for what China wants and it's bad for what Blizz wants.

Can only hope China takes action against Blizzard anyway.

This is known as the Streisand effect. Link enough of Blizzard's IP's to pro HK freedom and this will be a lesson that Blizzard will never forget.

[Freighter]

How would this be "hiding" it? It's drawing more attention. It's pretty easy to trip the account security features, it's happened to me.

Has happened to me several times. I was told to use authenticator after the several tickets I had with them over it as it would prevent it.

[Saucexorzski]

I don’t think “see, you thought blizzard was a liberal company! Little did you know they’re actually just a republican company! A money-grubbing, communist-China supporting, good-ol’ fashioned amoral republican company!” is quite the point you intended on making.

I know you are used to corporations deplatforming those you hate, this must be a new feeling for you. It will pass.

[Stormspark]

I already began my permanent Blizzard boycott (uninstalling ALL products, vowing ever to touch anything with their name on it again, old games or present/future) during Blizzcon last year. There's nothing more I can do. I can't boycott them MORE. The guy that started this knew what he was doing though, and he was willing to be a martyr for it, and I applaud him for that. Blizzard is SCREWED now. The best possible outcome would've been achieved by them doing nothing. Instead they chose to piss off the rest of the world. If they want to save their company they will have to undo this and probably be banned from China (no great loss). They actually make a lot more money in the Americas than they do in China (China is like 11-12% of their income). As is they stand to lose all of that. Their stock is taking a nosedive, people are quitting their esports in droves, people are unsubbing from all their products in droves. I hope that small amount of money from China is worth it. At this point they might as well move their HQ and Blizzcon to Beijing, because that's the only place they will find any support.

[Popastique]

people are quitting their esports in droves, people are unsubbing from all their products in droves.

Where do you get the statistics numbers from?

[Jtbrig7390]

They actually make a lot more money in the Americas than they do in China (China is like 11-12% of their income).

Actually that isn't true.

About half of their income comes from China, The difference is a couple million.

With that said this is going to hit blizzard hard ether way, They ether lose a lot of money from everyone else in the world or lose it from China. Honestly both happening is also a likely outcome.

[Arrashi]

Someone should go to blizzcon cosplaying yellow furbolg wearing red shirt.

[Deja Thoris]

I already began my permanent Blizzard boycott (uninstalling ALL products, vowing ever to touch anything with their name on it again, old games or present/future) during Blizzcon last year. There's nothing more I can do. I can't boycott them MORE. The guy that started this knew what he was doing though, and he was willing to be a martyr for it, and I applaud him for that. Blizzard is SCREWED now. The best possible outcome would've been achieved by them doing nothing. Instead they chose to piss off the rest of the world. If they want to save their company they will have to undo this and probably be banned from China (no great loss). They actually make a lot more money in the Americas than they do in China (China is like 11-12% of their income). As is they stand to lose all of that. Their stock is taking a nosedive, people are quitting their esports in droves, people are unsubbing from all their products in droves. I hope that small amount of money from China is worth it. At this point they might as well move their HQ and Blizzcon to Beijing, because that's the only place they will find any support.

Lets be clear, I'm completely against what Blizz did, but their share price is pretty much flat atm. Don't exaggerate this.

[Boricha]

It's depressing to see Blizz make such a bad call. Makes me feel bad to log into their games. It also speaks to the influence China is gaining through investments in foreign economies. Now I think Blizzcon is going to be a train wreck and a lot of devs are going to get flamed for something they probably weren't involved in. It will be effective though, with millions watching. I love how artists have turned Mei into a symbol of the Hong Kong protests. I can't see Jeff Kaplan agreeing with the company's handling of things, but he's also probably terrified of OW getting banned in China.

[Trassk]

Only way they can save face here is to make a public apology to the people, and the guy they canned.

Of course they won't, their masters in activision will tell them if anyone dares to show human decency to the masses, they will be fired.

[Edge-]

Kinda retarded from blizz, their PR department seems to be made of idiots for a decade now.

I'd put down a lot of money literally nobody in their PR team had anything to do with this. And if they did, they'd have told them it was a terrible idea.

This is a business decision, plain and simple.

[rhorle]

Again what the fuck is wrong with you people? Look at what is happening in Hong Kong. Actually fucking look. Stop defending this bullshit.

Where have I defended anything that the Chinese government has done to the people in its country?

[Kallisto]

Again what the fuck is wrong with you people? Look at what is happening in Hong Kong. Actually fucking look. Stop defending this bullshit.

We see it, but unless you're going to go "Full boycott on anything that has even the slightest link to china." then simply put you're being a hypocrite.

Seriously should peole in china be punished for this by being effectively banned from playing blizzard games because of something they have no control over?

[Kneth]

Honestly, playing it this way has brought waaaay more attention to the comment than if they had just ignored it and let it slide. Which is bad for what China wants and it's bad for what Blizz wants.

Can only hope China takes action against Blizzard anyway.

Punishing him was okay as he DID break the rules, the punishment was just strangely harsh and the casters got punished aswell.

had it just been a fine or something like that and a twitter post saying that their players don't speak for them, and in the future to keep politics out of tournaments. Then it would have been fine.

But the actions they took speak clearly that they don't want to upset china at any cost.

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We see it, but unless you're going to go "Full boycott on anything that has even the slightest link to china." then simply put you're being a hypocrite.

Seriously should peole in china be punished for this by being effectively banned from playing blizzard games because of something they have no control over?

yes, that's how it's usually done

some country does something horrible
some countries don't like it an make sanctions, blacklist companies, pull out productions in the country etc. as a way to stand up against it

it's pretty normal.

[Count Zero]

Maybe Blizz is playing the long con - they knew that handling it this way would draw much more attention to the situation than otherwise, letting them save face w/ China while actually doing large damage to China's reputation at the expense of their own reputation and sub numbers.

lol

But it's fun to consider

[Kallisto]

yes, that's how it's usually done

some country does something horrible
some countries don't like it an make sanctions, blacklist companies, pull out productions in the country etc. as a way to stand up against it

it's pretty normal.

That is fucking stupid still anyway Sanctions should never be used ever. Citizens are not responsible for the actions of the government and as such should not be punished in anyway. Companies should be able to trade with people of other countries even and I say this in the effect of near war. Yes that does mean free trade with people under regimes so fucked up that ithey kill people.

Simply put punish Ji/kim/putin/ayatollahs. Not the guy on the street.

It's not that hard.

[Soon-TM]

The gaming world (and the world at large as well) needs more Blitzchungs and less corporate shills. I applaud this boy's courage!

[breadisfunny]

so according to this video at 13:55 it's being reported that some people can no longer delete their accounts by any of the 4 methods available to them. not sure if it's true or not but there it is. also looks like another hearthstone caster has quit in disgust over the situation. sorry if the video has been linked already.

[Th3Scourge]

We truly are living in clown world now. Who would've guessed that it would be Blizzard that bring Republicans and Democrats together