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  1. #1

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

    https://twitter.com/Slasher/status/1...962632193?s=20

    Breaking: Effective immediately, Blizzard has removed Hong Kong Hearthstone player blitzchung from Hearthstone Grand Masters, rescinded all his prize money, and have suspended him from pro play for one year for his recent interview.
    Heartstone Reddit post
    Protest spam on reddit
    You can no longer access Blizzard Reddit unless you're a moderator or approved

    National Public Radio

    Jesse Cox
    Kevin Hovdestad
    Patrick Klepek
    Mark Kern
    Marco Rubio

    How far have people fallen... A gaming company pleasing authoritarians just go get money.

    P.S.: What I find ironic is that South Park just recently had an episode about Chinese authoritarianism and global companies pandering to the Chinese market by willing censor themselves. As result South Park is now banned in China. I guess that's a point proven.

    UPDATE 1:


    UPDATE 2:


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    UPDATE 7:
    Last edited by Jshadowhunter; 2019-10-08 at 11:19 PM.

  2. #2
    I guess there's no difference between NBA or Blizzard. When it comes to Chinese money they will happily sqaush any oppinions that oppose the Chinese Communist Party.

  3. #3
    Bloodsail Admiral salate's Avatar
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    Well, partly understandable of both sides. the player got what he deserved but he had right to speak up his opinion, blizzard did what they had to save their face in the china market.
    Both are right, both are wrong.

    Standard shit "they are not our players they were retired two weeks ago".
    step into everything will gief ya nothing, mon

  4. #4
    Blizzard also got rid of the two casters who were there:

    Blizzard also add that, despite them physically ducking from his comments on air and immediately cutting to a commercial, the company “will also immediately cease working with both casters” involved in airing Blitzchung’s statement.
    https://kotaku.com/blizzard-suspends...upp-1838864961

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Every Pwny View Post
    Blizzard also got rid of the two casters who were there:



    https://kotaku.com/blizzard-suspends...upp-1838864961
    Who had nothing to do with it, real classy blizz.
    Fuck this garbage company, everything they stand for and every fucking human waste that defends and supoorts this.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nymrohd View Post
    What would they do if they suddenly got a group of people in Blizzcon during the HS reveal chant "Liberate Hong Kong" I wonder.
    You assume they are actually upset about it, what a company does officially and what they believe privately are two massively different things. If Blizzard gets kicked out of china the company will be fine, the Chinese players however are completely screwed despite them not saying anything.

  7. #7
    Ya fuck Activision-Blizzard on this, They have joined my Boycott list.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by shadowmatrix View Post
    If Blizzard gets kicked out of china the company will be fine
    Activision-Blizzard makes a fuck ton of money from the Chinese mark.

    If they was kicked out of China ya the company would be fine but they would lose a fuck ton of cash.
    Last edited by Jtbrig7390; 2019-10-08 at 11:20 AM.
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  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Strangebrew View Post
    Who had nothing to do with it, real classy blizz.
    Not agreeing or disagreeing with the stance they have taken, but if you actually watch the vod - this really isn't true.

  9. #9
    HeelVSbabyface video when?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dizzeeyooo View Post
    Not agreeing or disagreeing with the stance they have taken, but if you actually watch the vod - this really isn't true.
    Was it the ducking down before he said it or the laughing during and afterwards that gave them away?
    Last edited by shadowmatrix; 2019-10-08 at 10:47 AM.

  11. #11
    High Overlord ShadeknightX's Avatar
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    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.
    The first, last and only warning to get from me...Mock me once I will Backstab you...Mock me twice I will Mutilate thee....Mock me thrice I will go ******* killing spree on you......Have Fun.

  12. #12
    And nothing will change because no one is going to stop playing over a few randos.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by ShadeknightX View Post
    .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.
    Funny you should bring this up.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by Sykol View Post
    And nothing will change because no one is going to stop playing over a few randos.
    I am because it doesn't matter if it was some random person.

    Activision-Blizzard for me has cross a moral line and they was already on the edge with it anyway due to their loot box shit. So for me this was the straw that broke the camels back.

    Quote Originally Posted by ShadeknightX View Post
    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....
    Some battles you can pick and choose, some you can't. I need my phone for work and daily life, So I have to deal with the fact most (if not all) are made in China. I don't have to have a Activision-Blizzard product in my life.

    Shit isn't as black and white as you make it.
    Last edited by Jtbrig7390; 2019-10-08 at 11:23 AM.
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  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Boomzy View Post
    I can't wait for the QA panel at Blizzcon now even more.
    Ya its going to make last years QA seem like a joke.

    Someone will 100% have their finger on the mute button, As soon as words even start to sound like Hong Kong the mic will be cut.
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  15. #15
    *Ion looks up from his painting of chairman mao, the chinese flag rippling in the wind behind him and his rainbow lgbt+ blizzard logo badge mostly obscured behind a tencent sticker and looks at hong kong on the news*

    "are we the baddies?"

    I kid but it feels like every other year the western Blizzard audience gets some hint they are now the secondary parasite audience to their chinese overlords and Blizzards primary target audience of the last ten years and maybe thinks thats why the games arent balanced or designed for western tastes anymore than forget a week later till another thing like this shows up.

    Blizzard can parrot all the goodwill stuff they want at blizzcon but this is a company utterly reliant on china and if they have to spite anyone to do that they will and this is just another symptom of that.

  16. #16
    Over 9000! ringpriest's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jtbrig7390 View Post
    Funny you should bring this up.



    - - - Updated - - -



    I am because it doesn't matter if it was some random person.

    Activision-Blizzard for me has cross a moral line and they was already on the edge with it anyway due to their loot box shit. So for me this was the straw that broke the camels back.



    Some battles you can pick and choose, some you can't. I need my phone for work and daily life, So I have to deal with the fact most (if not all) are made in China. I don't have to have a Activision-Blizzard product in my life.

    Shit isn't as black and white as you make it.
    Well said; there a lot of people around the globe who sympathize with Hong Kong protestors, or who disagree with the PRC government and dislike the way corporations kowtow to them - but doing something that feels significant often isn't easy or obvious. Canceling subs, uninstalling software and making sure everyone knows that when it comes to repressive authoritarian regimes, Blizz folds faster than Superman on laundry day? That is easy and obvious, and it may very well make a difference; even if you secretly do plan to play again, do a little to support democracy - unsub for a week or a month. And who knows - if this goes viral, it may even make a real difference down the road.
    "In today’s America, conservatives who actually want to conserve are as rare as liberals who actually want to liberate. The once-significant language of an earlier era has had the meaning sucked right out of it, the better to serve as camouflage for a kleptocratic feeding frenzy in which both establishment parties participate with equal abandon" (Taking a break from the criminal, incompetent liars at the NSA, to bring you the above political observation, from The Archdruid Report.)

  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by ringpriest View Post
    Well said; there a lot of people around the globe who sympathize with Hong Kong protestors, or who disagree with the PRC government and dislike the way corporations kowtow to them - but doing something that feels significant often isn't easy or obvious. Canceling subs, uninstalling software and making sure everyone knows that when it comes to repressive authoritarian regimes, Blizz folds faster than Superman on laundry day? That is easy and obvious, and it may very well make a difference; even if you secretly do plan to play again, do a little to support democracy - unsub for a week or a month. And who knows - if this goes viral, it may even make a real difference down the road.
    ur gonna have to cancel milions of subs, not a handfull, for blizzard to care, their revenue from china is quiet significant

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Tiase View Post
    Please, I want this now.
    Seriously. Imagine if the majority of all grandmaster players stood with Hong Kong, and people at blizzcon chanted Liberate Hong Kong.
    What the fuck would they ever be able to do? They'd be so fucked.
    I WANT IT

    LET IT HAPPEN
    I 2nd that notion.

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Tiase View Post
    Please, I want this now.
    Seriously. Imagine if the majority of all grandmaster players stood with Hong Kong, and people at blizzcon chanted Liberate Hong Kong.
    What the fuck would they ever be able to do? They'd be so fucked.
    I WANT IT

    LET IT HAPPEN
    and earning yourself a lifelong blizzcon ban gj

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by valky94 View Post
    and earning yourself a lifelong blizzcon ban gj
    And?

    The people doing it know the risks and wouldn't care.
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