Examples of Damage Control in Gaming: This Isn’t Getting Any Better for Blizzard

Blizzard unleashed a torrent of fury from the gaming audience a week ago. It started when Hearthstone player Blitzchung ended a stream by announcing support for the pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, complete with donning their mask and saying their catchphrase. Blizzard took immediate action by banning the player from competing for a year and rescinding his prize money, and went overboard by also banning the casters involved despite them not joining him. The level of outrage made the controversy over the Diablo Immortal mobile game a year ago look tame in comparison.

Blizzard did this because they didn’t want to take a political side, but taking such an action was the most political move of all. It was done not to upset China, one of their largest business markets and where they provide tournaments with sponsors, regardless of how much they wanted to insist otherwise. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have issued such severe punishments.

This situation wasn’t going to resolve itself, but Blizzard seemed reticent towards prolonging it. It’s why they released a statement addressing the issue on Friday evening for the US, which proved how they knew this wouldn’t be enough to assuage fans. Sure enough, it didn’t.

Blizzard tried to compromise and satisfy both sides; but the result has left both those who stand with the Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters and the alternating pro-China groups dissatisfied — though it’s possible the latter is still the most satisfied party here. The punishment for Blitzchung and the casters was lightened from one year to six months, and the former’s prize money was returned since the incident didn’t occur during the actual gameplay. But they’re still being punished when they shouldn’t have been, so they didn’t fully address the most outrageous aspect of this controversy.

The phrase “Every Voice Matters” is included three times, which isn’t true for Blizzard when three people involved are being punished because one of them voiced support for democratic ideals and human rights. It’s why Blizzard employees covered this very phrase on their campus shortly after the controversy started. Again, no one believes this had nothing to do with China; the punishment alone showed how the country had everything to do with the decision. They also intend to forbid players from getting political in future events, a way to let them know that they’ll also be punished if they try anything similar.

As VICE Games’ Patrick Klepek stated on Twitter after their statement was released (again, on a Friday evening, when few in the gaming audience were paying attention), this was a doubling down. They realized how bad this looked, but didn’t want to piss of the incredibly sensitive Chinese communist party and lose lucrative business deals. It’s the same issue the NBA went through over a week ago (though it’s since cooled — or had cooled), and there’s no way they’ll pass up the money to be made from the Chinese market.

The fanbase knows this, which is why several of them plan to protest at BlizzCon in less than three weeks. They’re being organized by Fight for the Future, a non-profit group focused on digital rights, which has gained serious traction. Several fans who purchased tickets before this fiasco started still plan to go, and intend to let Blizzard know how they feel. It was clear before this that the convention was promising to be particularly wild this year, but this provides a good indication of how heated it will get.

They know what’s coming, too, considering they cancelled the launch party for the Switch version of Overwatch previously scheduled to happen tomorrow. It’s nice that the voice actors won’t be harassed on behalf of the execs making the bad decisions, but they’re no longer underestimating the upset they’ve generated.

Meanwhile, Blitzchung has released his own statement though Twitter. He claimed he’ll be more careful about how he expresses opinions about Hong Kong in the future, though he shouldn’t have to. While he’s glad Blizzard reconsidered the punishment, he said six months is still a lot for him. He also wishes they’d reconsider the punishment for the casters, who weren’t involved with his actions. It’s a well-thought-out statement, though it’s a pity this could make Blizzard look like they have the upper hand.

This is one of the rare instances where the gaming community is united in their criticism of a company’s actions, but I hope they’re all upset for the right reasons. Blizzard’s (and other companies and organizations) capitulation to China is what happens when capitalism runs amok, when outfits put profits over people fighting for their rights. Several other countries are prone to this type of control, including the US and the UK. Those who hold capitalism in high regard and believe its infallible should question the system perpetuating massive wealth inequality and its establishment of a new Gilded Age. I’m not advocating for socialism here, but it’s a good time to consider the gaping flaws in our current system before ethical dissent becomes more difficult than it already is.

Blizzard is hardly the only gaming company invested in the Chinese market, and isn’t the only company trying to suppress speech. Several of them are even partially owned by Chinese conglomerates — especially Tencent. Riot Games is requesting that players not discuss “sensitive issues” on air during League of Legends tournaments, which include political and religious matters. It’s easy to see what they’re referencing, but also funny considering LoL has a team called “Hong Kong Attitude.” Epic Games said they won’t ban anyone who engages in political speech, but we’ll see if that holds up if, or when, it actually happens. Tencent is heavily invested in both companies, and they absolutely share China’s vindictiveness.

The Hong Kong pro-democracy protests against China and the country’s allies are continuing on, meaning potential still exists for players to voice support during streamed eSports games and NBA games. The biggest display will come through the upcoming protests at BlizzCon in less than three weeks, in what promises to be the wildest such convention yet. This is far from over for Blizzard, and they have no one to blame but themselves.