UPDATE: Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai has responded to Blizzard’s overnight statement, saying: “In the future I will be more careful.”
In a livestream on Twitch, the Hong Kong Hearthstone pro revealed he received a phonecall from a Blizzard representative about the situation, and said he was “grateful” the company had reduced his ban from one year to six months.
However, Blitzchung added: “To be honest six months is too long for me.” Then: “I wish Blizzard would reconsider the penalty of the two casters.”
Will Blitzchung continue to compete in Hearthstone following his ban? “Honestly I have no idea,” he said, pointing to the Grandmaster tournament next season as his likely return if he decides to come back. Apparently Blitzchung will retain his Grandmaster status.
“I will take this time to decide if I am staying in the competitive Hearthstone scene or not.
“I haven’t played Hearthstone since the incident happened. I have no idea if I will go back to Hearthstone again.”
ORIGINAL STORY: Following a week of outcry and protests over its punishment of a Hearthstone player who expressed pro-Hong Kong views in a post-match interview, Blizzard has finally issued a statement that amounts to a partial backtrack – but it insisted its relationships in China had no influence on its decision.