In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Five days after the banning of Hearthstone Grandmaster Blitzchung, which sparked a wave of protests, Blizzard has also commented on the incident. However, this has not improved the mood in the community.
What happened? During an interview at the Asia Pacific Hearthstone Grandmasters tournament, pro player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai spoke out for the freedom of Hong Kong, where significant political unrest is currently ongoing.
As a result, Blizzard revoked his Grandmaster title, prize money, and imposed a one-year tournament ban on him. This action caused great anger among players and in the gaming industry.
But now Blizzard has released a statement in which the company’s head, J. Allen Brack, addresses the reasons for the penalty and especially reduces the severity of the punishment.
You can find more details about Blizzard’s statement in our article:
Disbelief in the Community
What are the reactions? Although Blizzard is clearly backtracking with the statement regarding Blitzchung’s ban and admits that they made a mistake in this case, the mood in the community has not improved. Many fans and personalities from the gaming industry welcome the drastic reduction of the punishment for the pro gamer and the two casters.
However, they sharply criticize several points from J. Allen Brack’s statement and other things Blizzard has done or not done in recent days. Calls for boycotts on social media and in forums continue.
China has no influence on the decision
Especially one sentence from Brack causes disbelief and mockery in the community on reddit and social media:
I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on the decision.
J. Allen Brack
In a large thread on the Hearthstone subreddit, many users do not believe Brack, asserting that this is not true and that Blizzard imposed the harsh penalty without considering China’s interests.
Among the personalities from the gaming industry who also doubt the truthfulness of the statement are Rod “Slasher” Breslau, one of the most well-known eSports consultants, and Kotaku journalist Jason Schreier.
What our readers say: Some of our readers also believe that the statement claiming China had no influence on the decision is not true. Reader Npu1se_gg wrote, for example:
No one believes that. There isn’t any PR talk that could be more empty than what was in that letter. And then to post such a statement on a Friday afternoon/evening … there’s pure calculation behind it, to let it go unnoticed over the weekend.
He is not alone in his opinion.
Hearthstone post on Weibo
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
One of the main reasons why Brack’s statement regarding China’s influence is so doubted is another statement published on Hearthstone’s official account on Weibo, a Chinese social media service.
This is the post in question: The content of the post stands in stark contrast to what Brack says. It states:
We are very outraged and disappointed about what happened at the event and condemn it in every way. We oppose the dissemination of personal political views in this manner. The participant is banned from events effective immediately, and our work with the casters is terminated. We will always respect and defend the pride of our country.
Statement on Hearthstone’s Weibo channel, via Rod Breslau @Slasher
This statement was unearthed by reddit users and translated into English by IGN.
However, it should be noted that this account is not directly under Blizzard, but under the Chinese publisher NetEase, which distributes ActiBlizz games in China (via IGN). Therefore, it is hard to say how much influence Blizzard had over the publication of the post.
This is not an apology
Players are also annoyed by Brack’s statement because he does not apologize for the company’s behavior. There are many explanations that explain Blizzard’s actions and attempt to make everything more understandable. However, an admission of guilt is lacking.
The reddit user Xtrm said in the Hearthstone subreddit:
An apology typically contains words like “I’m sorry” or “excuse me”, none of which appear in this statement. It is purely damage control, nothing more. Anyone who tries to present this as an apology distorts the facts.
The credibility of Blizzard’s statement is indeed heavily questioned by many.
“Guidelines must be followed”
Are there other opinions? Although the protests against the punishment Blitzchung received represent a large majority, there are also voices that say the pro gamer was rightly punished.
Absolutely understandable what happened. When you watch a soccer game, you don’t want to suddenly hear a segment about the current Turkey/Syria crisis.
Florian G. on Facebook.
Blitzchung violated the rules that Blizzard set for its tournaments. A fact he was reportedly very aware of, and therefore expected the penalty.
In one of the large discussion threads on this topic on reddit, user Afalau also wrote:
It doesn’t matter what Blizzard said, you would still have gotten angry.
Whether the situation calms down before the upcoming Blizzcon or if the event will be overshadowed by the incident is currently hard to predict.
