The BlizzCon 2019 could become a disaster. Many players are planning to turn it into a political statement.
In exactly 3 weeks, the BlizzCon 2019 will take place. For many players, it’s the gaming event of the year, where new Blizzard games are presented, and the franchises are celebrated. Developers meet with the fans of their games, and there is plenty of fresh information. But the BlizzCon 2019 could develop into a huge disaster. The entire “Hearthstone-Hongkong” affair of recent days is growing.
What happened? A few days ago, Hearthstone pro Blitzchung was released from the Grandmasters league and his previous prize money was stripped because he expressed support for the protests in Hong Kong during a stream. Many people are currently protesting in Hong Kong against police violence, numerous grievances, and the increasing influence of China, which wants to see Hong Kong as part of the country again.
Many people interpret Blizzard’s decision to “fire” someone who supports the protests as a positioning of Blizzard. It is said that they are siding with China because there is a large market and much profit to be gained.
The forums are exploding: Since then, all subreddits around Blizzard and the official forums have been flooded with complaints. There is even an attempt to make the Overwatch heroine Mei a symbol of resistance in Hong Kong, so that China bans her and Blizzard products. At least in the official forums, many players have been banned when mentioning the topic – some even for a proud 1000 years. Additionally, numerous memes are currently overshadowing everything.
Doing my part from r/Blizzard
Blizzard’s response is still pending: The worst part for most people is that Blizzard has not yet issued a new statement. Many are waiting for some kind of reaction from the game company and fear that Blizzard wants to simply “wait it out.” However, many do not want to allow this. Numerous players report that they are currently deleting their Blizzard accounts and completely turning away from the company. They feel guilty enjoying the games of “such a company” any longer.
What will happen at BlizzCon?
In this atmosphere, everything is now gearing up for BlizzCon, which takes place at the beginning of November. Blizzard actually wants to show its latest developments here, but the players have other plans.
Visitors plan “peaceful protests”: Some attendees of the trade fair want to make a political statement and draw attention to Hong Kong and Blizzard’s actions regarding Blitzchung with “all peaceful means.” Currently, there are plans:
- As many visitors as possible are to wear T-shirts that prominently display “Free Hong Kong” in neon colors.
- Signs are to be held up whenever being filmed – for Hong Kong and against China.
- At the Q&A panels, questions related to the incident should be casually integrated.
- Certain seats should simply remain empty to boycott some presentations.
Concern about Blizzard’s countermeasures: Some fear that Blizzard has already initiated countermeasures. For example, they could simply cancel the public “Q&A” panels or limit them to pre-filtered questions from the internet. According to some upset players, “Blizzard knows exactly what is at stake” and will ensure that BlizzCon is protected from such protests. Thus, there would be no public Q&A sessions, and the audience would rarely or never be shown.
However, Blizzard is already needing to adjust plans – because one of the most popular casters for Hearthstone is stepping down due to this matter.
There are also opposing voices: But although a lot is currently working against Blizzard and their decision in the community, there are also players who do not support the whole thing. They look forward to BlizzCon and wish that they can simply enjoy “the games and the atmosphere” of the event. They do not want one of their last “nerd events” to be instrumentalized for political purposes.
Above all, it should also not be forgotten that Blizzard has not acted here as a “unit.” Just a few hours ago, there was a small protest from employees on campus.
Blizzard employees protesting the company’s decision with a copycat “Umbrella” protest. from r/Blizzard
All indications suggest that BlizzCon 2019 will be the most interesting in Blizzard’s history. Unfortunately, it seems that the presented games will not be responsible for this.
What do you think of the situation? Is it good that players are politically aligning themselves with the protesters in Hong Kong, Blitzchung, and the casters, and want to force Blizzard to rethink? Or should the BlizzCon be kept free of such topics?
