“Regarding Last Weekend's hearthstone Grandmasters Tournament”, 12 October 2019

… 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… 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... 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... 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…If this had been the opposing viewpoint delivered in the same divisive and deliberate way, we would have felt and acted the same… many players, casters, esports fans, and employees have expressed concerns about how we determined the penalties… our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly… In the tournament itself blitzchung *played* fair. We now believe he should receive his prizing…

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… There is a consequence for taking the conversation away from the purpose of the event and disrupting or derailing the broadcast… 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…