Suspended ‘Hearthstone’ Pro Streams Game About Hong Kong Protests
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/9kemj8/suspended-hearthstone-pro-streams-game-about-hong-kong-protests
Hearthstone pro Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai, the player who Activision Blizzard suspended from competitive play after he made pro-Hong Kong protest comments during a post-game interview, spent this morning streaming Liberate Hong Kong on Twitch, a game depicting scenes from the Hong Kong protests. While protesters clash with police in Hong Kong and Chung streams Liberate Hong Kong, people in America are preparing to descend on BlizzCon next week, and it’s looking increasingly likely some may stage protests at the event to pressure Blizzard and other game companies into more actively supporting freedom of speech.
Blizzard’s actions drew condemnation from international human rights groups, other players, and high-profile American politicians. The company’s response to the backlash, dropped on a Friday evening, was poorly received. As the controversy dragged on, no one was sure was sure if anti-Blizzard sentiment would fizzle out or fester into something larger.