The Blizzard Hong Kong controversy put the famed video game developer in a very delicate position. Its actions are echoing all over the world, with players siding with banned professional Hearthstone player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai as well as the two fired casters.
Many players are voicing their opinions on Reddit in a bid to boycott Blizzard for its actions. There are many reports of gamers canceling their Hearthstone and World of Warcraft accounts and deleting BattleNet, but the ripples of Blizzard’s decision are also extending to unreleased games, including Warcraft 3: Reforged and Overwatch on Nintendo Switch.
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One user named neph4 took to Reddit to share that he canceled his preorder for Overwatch on Switch. The anticipated shooter is releasing on October 15 and it’s safe to assume that it will be another hit for Blizzard. However, the bad publicity surfacing from the Hong Kong protest controversy is bound to hurt this game as well, with several players expressing their views against Blizzard.
Saying that it isn’t often that he gets to speak with his wallet, neph4 called Nintendo and canceled his pre-order for Overwatch on Nintendo Switch. He said that “Blizzard’s actions yesterday do not reflect what I would consider a central theme of Overwatch (having never played it). That freedom matters.”
Instead, he plans on buying and supporting other games, with “that Goose game everyone seems to be talking about” as his first choice. So, Untitled Goose Game it is then, with other users suggesting Stardew Valley, The Witcher 3, and Warframe.
User SwitchBL8 seems to have a strong view on this matter, saying “Blizzard is not the nice company like Blizzard North used to be and it shows […] What Blizzard did was legally correct, but we all know it was not the right thing to do.” Others don’t seem so convinced that this will hurt Blizzard in the slightest: “I’m betting my life that 50% of you will buy blizzard products within the next few months,” user BannedAccount_ said. “How many of you actually think that a few thousand Redditors is gonna hurt Blizzard?” he concluded.
While the maker of Diablo is likely to remain the powerhouse that it has been for decades, it’s too soon to properly judge the repercussions that the Blizzard Hong Kong controversy is going to have.
