Mitsubishi Pulls Out Of Blizzard Esports Partnership

Since its controversial ban of Hong Kong esports player Ng Wai Chung, the American gaming giant Blizzard has faced condemnations from American lawmakers, employee walkouts and a widespread player boycott, and now it has lost a key sponsor of its international gaming competitions.

The Taiwanese arm of Mitsubishi has withdrawn a sponsorship deal with Blizzard esports events in Asia after the company banned Wai Chung for backing Hong Kong pro-independence protesters in a televised post-game interview last month.

Taiwan is often the subject of contentious disputes between the Chinese government and companies risk losing the opportunity to do business in China if they defy, in any way, the government’s position on Chinese sovereignty of Hong Kong, Taiwan and other territories.

Blizzard has shortened a year-long ban of Wai Chung – and the tournament announcers who were interviewing him – to six months in response to fan and public outcry.

But the gaming company also added its decision was not influenced by its relationship with the Chinese government, a stance critics have found dubious as it runs numerous online video games in China and oversees esports teams and leagues for some of its most successful titles there.

Instead, Blizzard said it took issue with Wai Chung using the official tournament telecast to express his political views, and has since banned American college students and Twitch users for voicing support for pro-independence Hong Kong protestors.