Banned Hearthstone Player Blitzchung Responds To Blizzard Statement
It’s certainly been a turbulent week for Blizzard; the company coming under fire for their swift punishment of professional esports player Chung Ng Wai, a.k.a. “Blitzchung.” Following the Hearthstone competitor’s vocal support of political protests in Hong Kong, Blizzard doled out a year-long ban and reclaimed his newly-won prize money–a move that many found questionable considering the sensitive political issues at play and the fact that Blitzchung had legitimately won his matches fair and square.
As an avenue of addressing this increasing backlash, Blizzard recently released another statement on the matter; doubling down on their decision but ultimately relenting on Blitzchung’s initial punishment. The one-year ban from professional competition was significantly shortened to six months while his Hearthstone winnings were to be fully reinstated. Following Blizzard’s statement, Blitzchung has now issued his own response to the situation, addressing his altered punishment and what he plans to do in the future.
[中/ENG] Personal statement, view on Blizzard’s decision and future planning
Read: https://t.co/2YgO8XhTFq
— Ng Wai Chung (@blitzchungHS) October 12, 2019
“I’m grateful for Blizzard reconsidering their position about my ban,” he wrote in a message on TwitLonger. “Earlier this week, I told media that I knew I might have penalty or consequence for my act, because I understand that my act could take the conversation away from the purpose of the event. In the future, I will be more careful on that and express my opinions or show my support to Hong Kong on my personal platforms.”
Blitzchung voiced appreciation for the return of his winnings, especially as Blizzard’s statement mentioned him as playing fairly during the tournament. “They mention that I played fair in the tournament and they believe I should receive my prizing,” he continued. “This is the part I really appreciate, Blizzard also said they understand for some this is not about the prize, but perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. People from Blizzard had explained this to me through a phone call and I really appreciate that and I accept their decision on this part.”
On the other hand, the Hearthstone pro was less receptive to his and the involved casters’ new punishments, calling the revised six-month ban “still quite a lot.” Though, he wasn’t without gratitude for Blizzard’s reconsideration, as it means he’ll be able to rejoin the Grandmaster competitive scene. “I also being told that I can continue to compete in the Hearthstone pro circuit which they mean the Grandmaster tournament.” he explained. “I appreciate for this decision they made because grandmaster is currently the highest level tournament in competitive Hearthstone. However, I wish Blizzard can reconsider about their penalty on the two casters involved.”
Whether or not Blitzchung will return is still up in the air, as the post leaves this result up to wherever his mind will be once his suspension ends. “Honestly, I have no idea on that yet,” Blitzchung wrote. “Since my next tournament is very likely to be the grandmaster tournament of next season, it’s probably at least a few months from now on. I will take this time to relax myself to decide if I am staying in competitive Hearthstone scene or not.” Blitzchung’s message closed with, “Hearthstone changed my the way I live, I really love this community. Blessing to all the players out there, and blessing to Blizzard.”
As of now, the growing political movement in Hong Kong has affected gaming in several ways, especially when it comes to the current tournament scene. As a result of this week’s Blizzard backlash, other companies with ties to China-based holding company Tencent have also been put under a public microscope such as League of Legends’ Riot Games as well as Fortnite’s Epic Games, though neither has gone as far as to ban a player for expressing their views.
What do you think? Are you at ease that Blitzchung received his prizing, or do you feel he hasn’t done anything wrong? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! For more headlines recently featured on DFTG, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
