Blizzard Bans Gamer, Rescinds Money, on Hong Kong Protest Support

  • Expressing sympathy for Hong Kong democracy push proves costly
  • Hearthstone player won’t be allowed to compete for a year
Lam: Hong Kong Can Handle Protests Without China for Now
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A unit of Activision Blizzard Inc. has punished a player for expressing support for Hong Kong’s protest movement, the latest example of a U.S. company attempting to rein in speech that might displease the Chinese communist party.

Blizzard Entertainment said it was banning Ng Wai Chung, also known as Blitzchung, from its professional Hearthstone esports competition for a year. Blizzard is also withholding money he had already earned in the company’s top-tier Grandmasters tournament, which Ng said in a Twitter message cost him $10,000 of prize earnings. The move was triggered when Ng -- dressed in a gas mask and goggles in defiance of authorities’ ban on face masks -- used a slogan in support of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters during a post-match interview.