author: Konrad Serafinski
Blizzard Returns Blitzchung's Prize
It's been a nightmare week for Blizzard. The company banned a tournament winner, prevented user account deletion, to mention just a few mishaps. J. Allen Brack, company's CEO decided to speak. In a long press release, he announced that he would reduce the penalty for Blitzchung and pay him his tournament prize.
There are moments that you're sorry to have seen. When legends fall before our very eyes. Of course, it does not have to be about financial collapse, but about the end of certain values that were once associated with the company. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case with Blizzard. The company has been going through a really difficult period. It all started with the player Blitzchung, who after winning the Hearthstone Grandmasters finals wore a gas mask (a symbol of Hong Kong protests) and expressed his support for the protests. Blizzard's reaction was swift, and the player was suspended for one year for breaking the rules and deprived him of his money prize.
As you can easily guess, the reaction of the company did not meet with the warmest reception among the Internet community. The webwas flooded with memes and a wave of critics swept across social media, and the players started calling for a boycott of the corporation. The fact that the Chinese Tencent has a 5% of Blizzard's shares adds to the spice of the whole situation. I don't think there's any need to explain the connotation to anyone. One of the practices taken up by the players was the attempt of mass removal of their user accounts... That's right, an attempt. Because, according to Twitter users, Blizzard has prevented the deletion of accounts. Of course, there is no conclusive evidence that the company has actually decided to take such a radical step. Anyway, only now have we received the first official announcement from the company, namely from J. Allen Brack, Blizzard's CEO himself.
We can read in it that Blitzchung's suspension will be shortened to 6 months and he will receive his prize . Furthermore, the two commentators who happened to be hit by colllateral will also receive a six-month suspension and not be fired, as originally stated. J. Allen Brack commented on the case as follows:
At Blizzard, our vision is “to bring the world together through epic entertainment.” And we have core values that apply here: Think Globally; Lead Responsibly; and importantly, Every Voice Matters, encouraging everybody to share their point of view. The actions that we took over the weekend are causing people to question if we are still committed to these values. We absolutely are and I will explain. Our esports programs are an expression of our vision and our values. Esports exist to create opportunities for players from around the world, from different cultures, and from different backgrounds, to come together to compete and share their passion for gaming. It is extremely important to us to protect these channels and the purpose they serve: to bring the world together through epic entertainment, celebrate our players, and build diverse and inclusive communities. As to how those values apply in this case:
First, our official esports tournament broadcast was used as a platform for a winner of this event to share his views with the world. [...] Over the weekend, blitzchung used his segment to make a statement about the situation in Hong Kong—in violation of rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action.
Brack also devoted a moment to the presenters and their tasks during the transmission. However, the most important thing is another statement about whether the decision to punish the player was based on the content of the message:
"The specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision. [...] If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same."
PR damage control at its finest, only a tad late. You can read the entire announcement at this address. What do you think of the whole situation? On the one hand, Blizzard had full right (according to the rules) to punish the player. On the other hand, we have the company's good relations with China and the fact that its own actions contradicts the values it claims to promote. Mark Kern, former Team Lead at Blizzard, commented on the Chinese impact on the gaming industry. The statement that 'unlimited Communist money dictates our American values' quite clearly illustrates this relationship.
