Before BlizzCon, several people gathered to voice their displeasure. This is about the “Liberation of Hong Kong” and protests against Blizzard’s decisions.
A few weeks ago, we reported on the “Blitzchung” incident surrounding Hearthstone. At that time, a professional player was thrown out of the league and his prize money was withheld because he had expressed support for the protests in Hong Kong during a stream. Even though the punishment was later softened, it was a sign for many that Blizzard is bending over backwards for China.
Many shitstorms and announcements for protests at BlizzCon 2019 followed. These have now begun.
What is happening there? In front of the Convention Center in Anaheim, several people have gathered to lead the protests. According to local reports, they are distributing free t-shirts to everyone. The t-shirts feature prints like “Free Hongkong, Revolution of our times”, but Mei is also frequently depicted.
The Overwatch heroine has been turned into a symbol of resistance by the protesters. At that time, this was done with the intention that perhaps China would ban Overwatch if one of the characters became a symbol of the protests.
Is more happening? Whether the number of protesters will increase remains to be seen. After all, it is still morning in America. More people might gather throughout the day to voice their displeasure with Blizzard’s decisions.
Whether much of the protests will be visible at the fair and whether visitors will stand out with the corresponding t-shirts remains to be seen.
Are you looking forward to BlizzCon 2019? Or do you find the “surroundings” with the protests much more interesting this year?
Anyone who wants to watch the opening ceremony live with us can do so here.
