wraggster
November 7th, 2019, 19:44
Hearthstone game director Ben Lee has challenged the way Blizzard handled the situation surrounding Chung 'Blitzchung' Ng Wai, who was banned for showing support to the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.
Talking to Kotaku (https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2019/11/05/hearthstone-developers-wish-blizzard-had-handled-hong-kong-controversy-differently) at BlizzCon, Lee said: "The initial decision was too harsh. Absolutely."
He continued: "[We] definitely should have taken more time to consider something more reasonable, but we can't take that back."
Ng Wai was initially banned from Hearthstone competitions for 12 months (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-08-blizzard-dismisses-hearthstone-player-for-supporting-hong-kong-protests), before Blizzard reconsidered the sanction and settled on a six-month ban (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-12-blizzard-chinese-interests-had-no-influence-on-blitzchung-ban).
However, while Lee said he "wished things had been done differently," Hearthstone creative director Ben Thompson ultimately agreed with Blizzard's justification for the sanction, being that official broadcasts should be focusing on the games.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-11-06-hearthstone-developers-think-blizzard-was-too-harsh-with-blitzchung
Talking to Kotaku (https://www.kotaku.co.uk/2019/11/05/hearthstone-developers-wish-blizzard-had-handled-hong-kong-controversy-differently) at BlizzCon, Lee said: "The initial decision was too harsh. Absolutely."
He continued: "[We] definitely should have taken more time to consider something more reasonable, but we can't take that back."
Ng Wai was initially banned from Hearthstone competitions for 12 months (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-08-blizzard-dismisses-hearthstone-player-for-supporting-hong-kong-protests), before Blizzard reconsidered the sanction and settled on a six-month ban (https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-10-12-blizzard-chinese-interests-had-no-influence-on-blitzchung-ban).
However, while Lee said he "wished things had been done differently," Hearthstone creative director Ben Thompson ultimately agreed with Blizzard's justification for the sanction, being that official broadcasts should be focusing on the games.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-11-06-hearthstone-developers-think-blizzard-was-too-harsh-with-blitzchung