When U.S. companies placate bullies, it emboldens them to continue their behavior. The latest example of this is Blizzard Entertainment and China.
Blizzard, a video game developer based in California, cracked down on a Hong Kong-based streamer in 2019 for expressing support for Hong Kong protesters. The company justified their yearlong suspension and decision to strip him of his winnings by citing a policy that bans acts that, “in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard’s image.”
Blizzard, like other American companies and the NBA, has been chasing the Chinese market. The company has seen a slight increase in revenue but a 29% decrease in its player base in the last three years. China offers some more financial relief: The $51 million in mobile spending from China for the game Hearthstone in 2018 dwarfed the U.S. spending of $31.3 million.
Then there is the Overwatch League, where Blizzard’s current predicament lies. The Blizzard-owned esports league has four teams based in China, and now all four teams are threatening boycotts of league events that include Korean player Park Jong-ryeol. Park, a member of the Seoul Dynasty, criticized the “One China” policy and China’s treatment of Taiwan and Hong Kong, relaying that a manager told him, “If you want to earn Chinese money, you have to become a Chinese dog.”
The stream where Park made the comments can’t be found on the internet anymore, and Park has since apologized. But the apology wasn’t enough, according to the Chinese teams. And why should it be? Blizzard brought the hammer down on a player for supporting Hong Kong already, and that wasn’t with 20% of the teams in its esports league threatening boycotts.
Blizzard was quick to hop on trendy social justice movements such as Black Lives Matter or “Stop Asian Hate.” But crossing China proved a bridge too far in 2019, and it has emboldened Chinese organizations to agitate for censorship even more aggressively.
Blizzard folded before, and now the stakes have been raised. Had it stood strong in 2019, it could have avoided this scenario. The company must put its foot down now and reject this all-too-typical intimidation tactic made by the fragile supporters of China’s authoritarian regime.
