Blizzard president reageert voor het eerst op ban incident

Recentelijk had Blizzard zichzelf weer lekker in het nieuws gebracht door een Hearthstone speler te bannen en zijn prijzengeld af te nemen toen hij zijn mening over China uitte via de livestream. Nu reageert Blizzard president J. Allen Brack voor het eerst op het incident.

Eerst even een korte flashback..

Waar het allemaal om gaat is dat Blizzard na een Hearthstone toernooi speler Blitzchung een ban had gegeven op de game en zijn prijzengeld had afgenomen. De speler wou tijdens de livestream in zijn victory-speech opkomen voor de recentelijke controversie in China. Wil je hier meer over lezen? Check dan even hier ons nieuwsitem hierover.

Eindelijk reactie van Blizzard.

Alle kwade ogen waren gericht op Blizzard, want hoe kun je nou iemand een ban opleggen en zijn prijsgeld afnemen die zijn mening uit in de stream? Hierover heeft Blizzard president J. Allen Brack het volgende te zeggen:

”The player, blitzchung, made his statement during a victory interview and this was in violation of rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action,”

Ook wil Brack duidelijk maken dat het niets te maken heeft met de relaties die Blizzard heeft met China. Hierover zei hij het volgende:

“The specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision,”

Blizzard geeft aan duidelijk aan alle spelers aan te geven wat ze online wel en niet mogen/kunnen zeggen. Dit is volgens Blizzard dan ook de enige reden waarom ze Blitzchung een ban hebben gegeven en zijn prijzengeld hebben afgenomen.

Als laatste voegt de president van Blizzard nog toe:

“If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same,”

Uiteindelijk dan toch een compromis.

Inmiddels is de ban verminderd naar een half jaar in plaats van een heel jaar, en heeft Blitzchung toch nog zijn prijzengeld gekregen. Blizzard geeft aan te snel te hebben gehandeld met hun reactie richting Blitzchung. Hierover zeggen ze het volgende:

“We’ve had a chance to pause, to listen to our community, and to reflect on what we could have done better. In hindsight, our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly,”

Blizzard geeft aan dat Blitzchung eerlijk het toernooi heeft gewonnen en daarom toch zijn prijzengeld en winst verdient. Wel geeft hij aan dat eerlijk spel en een veilige omgeving in het vaandel staat bij de games uitgever.

“We want to ensure that we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all our players, and that our rules and processes are clear. All of this is in service of another important Blizzard value–Play Nice; Play Fair.”

Wat vinden jullie van de reactie van Blizzard? Is dit fair? Laat het ons weten in de comments! Hieronder kun je overigens het volledige statement van Blizzard lezen.

Volledig statement van Blizzard.

“Hello Blizzard Community . . .

I want to take a few minutes to talk to all of you about the Hearthstone Grandmasters tournament this past weekend. On Monday, we made the decision to take action against a player named blitzchung and two shoutcasters after the player shared his views on what’s happening in Hong Kong on our official broadcast channel.

At Blizzard, our vision is “to bring the world together through epic entertainment.” And we have core values that apply here: Think Globally; Lead Responsibly; and importantly, Every Voice Matters, encouraging everybody to share their point of view. The actions that we took over the weekend are causing people to question if we are still committed to these values. We absolutely are and I will explain.

Our esports programs are an expression of our vision and our values. Esports exist to create opportunities for players from around the world, from different cultures, and from different backgrounds, to come together to compete and share their passion for gaming. It is extremely important to us to protect these channels and the purpose they serve: to bring the world together through epic entertainment, celebrate our players, and build diverse and inclusive communities.

As to how those values apply in this case:

First, our official esports tournament broadcast was used as a platform for a winner of this event to share his views with the world.

We interview competitors who are at the top of their craft to share how they feel. We want to experience that moment with them. Hearing their excitement is a powerful way to bring us together.

Over the weekend, blitzchung used his segment to make a statement about the situation in Hong Kong—in violation of rules he acknowledged and understood, and this is why we took action.

Every Voice Matters, and we strongly encourage everyone in our community to share their viewpoints in the many places available to express themselves. However, the official broadcast needs to be about the tournament and to be a place where all are welcome. In support of that, we want to keep the official channels focused on the game.

Second, what is the role of shoutcasters for these broadcasts?

We hire shoutcasters to amplify the excitement of the game. They elevate the watchability and help the esports viewing experience stay focused on the tournament and our amazing players.

Third, were our actions based on the content of the message?

Part of Thinking Globally, Leading Responsibly, and Every Voice Matters is recognizing that we have players and fans in almost every country in the world. Our goal is to help players connect in areas of commonality, like their passion for our games, and create a sense of shared community.

The specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision.

We have these rules to keep the focus on the game and on the tournament to the benefit of a global audience, and that was the only consideration in the actions we took.

If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same.

OK, what could Blizzard have done better, and where do we go from here?

Over the past few days, many players, casters, esports fans, and employees have expressed concerns about how we determined the penalties. We’ve had a chance to pause, to listen to our community, and to reflect on what we could have done better. In hindsight, our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly.

We want to ensure that we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all our players, and that our rules and processes are clear. All of this is in service of another important Blizzard value—Play Nice; Play Fair.

In the tournament itself blitzchung *played* fair. We now believe he should receive his prizing. We understand that for some this is not about the prize, and perhaps for others it is disrespectful to even discuss it. That is not our intention.

But playing fair also includes appropriate pre-and post-match conduct, especially when a player accepts recognition for winning in a broadcast. When we think about the suspension, six months for blitzchung is more appropriate, after which time he can compete in the Hearthstone pro circuit again if he so chooses. There is a consequence for taking the conversation away from the purpose of the event and disrupting or derailing the broadcast.

With regard to the casters, remember their purpose is to keep the event focused on the tournament. That didn’t happen here, and we are setting their suspension to six months as well.

Moving forward, we will continue to apply tournament rules to ensure our official broadcasts remain focused on the game and are not a platform for divisive social or political views.

One of our goals at Blizzard is to make sure that every player, everywhere in the world, regardless of political views, religious beliefs, race, gender, or any other consideration always feels safe and welcome both competing in and playing our games.

At Blizzard, we are always listening and finding ways to improve—it is part of our culture. Thank you for your patience with us as we continue to learn.

Sincerely,

J. Allen Brack

President of Blizzard Entertainment”