Editing Blizzard Entertainment (section)

=== ''Hearthstone'' ban and Hong Kong protests ===
{{main|Blitzchung controversy}}
During an October 2019 ''Hearthstone Grandmasters'' streaming event in [[Taiwan]], one player Ng Wai Chung, going by his online alias "Blitzchung" used an interview period to show support for the protestors in the [[2019–20 Hong Kong protests]]. Shortly afterwards, on October 7, 2019, Blitzchung was disqualified from the current tournament and forfeited his winnings to date, and banned for a one-year period. The two shoutcasters engaged in the interview were also penalized with similar bans. Blizzard justified the ban as from its ''Grandmasters'' tournament rules that prevents players from anything that "brings [themselves] into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages [Blizzard's] image".<ref name="the verge hong kong">{{cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/8/20904308/hearthstone-player-blitzchung-hong-kong-protesters-ban-blizzard |title=Hearthstone player banned for supporting Hong Kong protesters during live stream |last=Porter |first=Jon |date=October 8, 2019 |work=[[The Verge]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008211850/https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/8/20904308/hearthstone-player-blitzchung-hong-kong-protesters-ban-blizzard |archive-date=October 8, 2019 |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref><ref name="wsj hong kong">{{cite news |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/10/08/768245386/blizzard-entertainment-bans-esports-player-after-pro-hong-kong-comments |title=Blizzard Entertainment Bans Esports Player After Pro-Hong Kong Comments |last=Zialcita |first=Paolo |date=October 8, 2019 |publisher=[[NPR]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191008212129/https://www.npr.org/2019/10/08/768245386/blizzard-entertainment-bans-esports-player-after-pro-hong-kong-comments |archive-date=October 8, 2019 |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/activision-suspends-esports-player-who-backed-hong-kong-protesters-11570559784 |title=Activision Suspends Esports Player Who Backed Hong Kong Protesters |last=Needleman |first=Sarah E. |date=October 8, 2019 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191008215333/https://www.wsj.com/articles/activision-suspends-esports-player-who-backed-hong-kong-protesters-11570559784 |archive-date=October 8, 2019 |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref>

Blizzard's response led to several protests from current ''Hearthstone'' players, other video game players, and criticism from Blizzard's employees, fearing that Blizzard was giving into the censorship of the Chinese government.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-08/blizzard-bans-gamer-rescinds-money-on-hong-kong-protest-support |title=Blizzard Bans Gamer, Rescinds Money, on Hong Kong Protest Support |last1=Hunter |first1=Gregor Stuart |last2=Huang |first2=Zheping |date=October 8, 2019 |publisher=[[Bloomberg News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20191008124216/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-08/blizzard-bans-gamer-rescinds-money-on-hong-kong-protest-support |archive-date=October 8, 2019 |access-date=October 8, 2019}}</ref> Protests were held, including through the 2019 [[BlizzCon]] in early November, to urge Blizzard to reverse their bans.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/1/20943761/hong-kong-protests-blizzcon-2019-blitzchung | title = Hong Kong protesters are assembling outside of BlizzCon | first = Nicole | last = Carpenter | date = November 1, 2019 | access-date = November 1, 2019 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | archive-date = November 1, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191101173147/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/1/20943761/hong-kong-protests-blizzcon-2019-blitzchung | url-status = live }}</ref> The situation also drew the attention of several U.S. lawmakers, fearing that Blizzard, as a U.S. company, was letting China dictate how it handled speech and also urged the bans to be reversed.<ref>{{cite magazine | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/bipartisan-members-of-congress-call-on-blizzard-to-reverse-blitzchung-punishment/ | title = Bipartisan members of congress call on Blizzard to reverse Blitzchung punishment | first = Andy | last = Chalk | date = October 18, 2019 | access-date = October 18, 2019 | magazine = [[PC Gamer]] | archive-date = October 19, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191019000010/https://www.pcgamer.com/bipartisan-members-of-congress-call-on-blizzard-to-reverse-blitzchung-punishment/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Blizzard CEO J. Allen Brack wrote an open letter on October 11, 2019, apologizing for the way Blizzard handled the situation, and reduced the bans for both Blitzchung and the casters to six months. Brack reiterated that while they support free speech and their decision was in no way tied to the Chinese government, they want players and casters to avoid speaking beyond the tournament and the games in such interviews.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://kotaku.com/blizzard-reduces-suspension-of-hearthstone-player-who-m-1838984893 | title = Blizzard Finally Comments On Hearthstone Debacle, Reduces Suspensions And Returns Prize Money | first = Nathan | last = Grayson | date = October 11, 2019 | access-date = October 11, 2019 | work = [[Kotaku]] | archive-date = October 12, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191012004123/https://kotaku.com/blizzard-reduces-suspension-of-hearthstone-player-who-m-1838984893 | url-status = live }}</ref>