While the “NBA cowering to China” controversy continues to rage, #BoycottBlizzard is trending on Twitter and employees are staging walkouts after the gaming giant — which is partly owned by Chinese tech company Tencent and makes over 10% of its profits from the Asia-Pacific region — banned a Hong Kong-based professional player for expressing support for the pro-democracy Hong Kong protests.
For saying “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” during a live-streamed interview focused on his tournament success, Hearthstone player Chung Ng Wai (“Blitzchung”) was told by Activision Blizzard that he must forfeit $10,000 of his prize money and was banned from playing professionally for a year.
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Effective immediately, Blizzard has removed Hong Kong Hearthstone player blitzchung from Hearthstone Grand Masters, rescinded all his prize money, and have suspended him from pro play for one year for his recent interview.
Statement below https://t.co/ByI8vrZk1a pic.twitter.com/3h6jKYezMQ
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) October 8, 2019
The backlash against Blizzard’s anti-free speech actions is rapidly escalating, both outside and inside the company.
As reported by The Daily Beast Wednesday, a small group of Blizzard employees from multiple departments staged walk-outs Tuesday in solidarity with “Blitzchung” and to express their disgust with the company’s “appalling” actions. The protesting employees reportedly gathered around a statue of an Orc at the center of the company’s Irvine, California campus for several hours, starting at around 10 a.m.
“The action Blizzard took against the player was pretty appalling but not surprising,” one of the employees told The Daily Beast. “Blizzard makes a lot of money in China, but now the company is in this awkward position where we can’t abide by our values.”
“We want people all over the world to play our games, but no action like this can be made with political neutrality,” another self-described “disappointed” employee told the outlet.
“The protesters also solicited signatures for a petition expressing displeasure with Blizzard leadership’s handling of the matter that they planned to submit to executives, the two employees said,” The Daily Beast reports. The employees told the outlet that so far no executives have taken action against them for protesting the ban.
Games Industry tweeted out a photo of the protest:
“I will not be a smiling face on camera that tacitly endorses this decision,” Brian Kibler said. https://t.co/EQIpIOU7RA
— GamesIndustry (@GIBiz) October 10, 2019
Protests aren’t only been staged under Orc statues, #BoycottBlizzard is all over Twitter with criticism directed at the company far less politely phrased — “F*** Blizzard” pops up a lot.
One of those taking to Twitter to protest is game producer Mark Kern, who posted a lengthy thread explaining his reasons for joining the boycott that has gotten some attention online. “I have watched China slowly take over as the dominant investing force in gaming and movies over the years,” Kern wrote. “It’s a shame US companies never believed as strongly as China and Asia in investing in games, but this allowed China to have unprecedented influence over our media. Chinese game companies have grown huge not just because of market size, but because the government subsidizes them. They get free land, free offices, and huge infusions of cash. This cash was and is used to do expand and buy up stakes in US gaming companies.”
“I’ve seen firsthand the corruption of Chinese gaming companies, and I was removed from a company I founded (after Blizzard) for refusing to take a 2 million dollar kickback bribe to take an investment from China. This is the first time I’ve ever spoken [publicly] about it,” he wrote. “I’ve also seen how American company reps in China have been offered similar bribes to get licenses for large AAA titles. Not everyone refused like I did. Chinese companies tried to ruin my career with planted press stories. Money is often paid for favorable press in China and some of that money flows here to the US as well. Unfortunately, money talks. China has succeeded in infiltrating all levels of tech, gaming and more. … [N]ow we are in a situation where unlimited Communist money dictates our American values. We censor our games for China, we censor our movies for China. Now, game companies are silencing voices for freedom and democracy.”
Political figures have also begun to weigh in on the issue. As reported by The Hill, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have rebuked the company, including Republican Sen. Marco Rubio (FL).
“Recognize what’s happening here,” Rubio wrote Tuesday. “People who don’t live in [China] must either self censor or face dismissal & suspensions. China using access to market as leverage to crush free speech globally. Implications of this will be felt long after everyone in U.S. politics today is gone.”
Recognize what’s happening here. People who don’t live in #China must either self censor or face dismissal & suspensions. China using access to market as leverage to crush free speech globally. Implications of this will be felt long after everyone in U.S. politics today is gone. https://t.co/Cx3tkWc7r6
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 8, 2019
Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (OR) also blasted Blizzard. “Blizzard shows it is willing to humiliate itself to please the Chinese Communist Party,” he tweeted Tuesday. “No American company should censor calls for freedom to make a quick buck.”
Blizzard shows it is willing to humiliate itself to please the Chinese Communist Party. No American company should censor calls for freedom to make a quick buck. https://t.co/rJBeXUiwYS
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) October 8, 2019
Related: WATCH: Trump Shames NBA Coaches For ‘Pandering To China’