Postponing Of 15th Anniversary of World of Warcraft

The much awaited and much expected 15th Anniversary of the World of Warcraft event that was to be held in Taiwan had to be postponed. An announcement to this effect was made on Facebook and it was made public on October 15, 2019. The event was supposed to be held during this weekend but it was pushed to a later date perhaps because of the ongoing Hong-Kong protests. It would be pertinent to mention here that the famous World of Warcraft was first released on November 23, 2004 and it has since been extremely popular because of a number of reasons. When we look at the most popular games not only in this country but across the world, there are reasons to believe that this is perhaps one of the most sought after and widely played game. There are many reasons for this and therefore the decision to postpone the 15th anniversary of this game is indeed a bit sad and for many it also is quite shocking.

What Was The Reason?

According to Blizzard Entertainment, the anniversary to commemorate the 15th year of World of Warcraft event was taken because of some unavoidable reason. Though the company did not give any specific reason for cancellation of the event, it is quite obvious that there are some important reasons behind its cancellation. People by the dozens have swarmed the Facebook page of Blizzard’s Taiwanese Page that caters to the World of Warcraft. Most of them have extended their support for the pro-democracy movements and protests in Hong Kong. That perhaps is the main reason for Blizzard Entertainment to cancel the event abruptly. However, Blizzard Entertainment is trying to play it safe. They have gone on record with Polygon and have refused to give an official statement at this point in time.

Suspension of Hearthstone Player

It would also be pertinent to mention here that Blizzard came under severe attack and faced quite a bit of criticism because it has suspended the Hearthstone player. His name was Chung Ng Wai or Blitzchung. He was presumably suspended because he was seen backing the demonstrators in Hong Kong who were demanding the restoration of democracy for it. There are some images of Chung that are quite telling. He is seen appearing in a video stream and is seen wearing a gas mask. This is a symbol of protest and solidarity with those who are demanding for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong. He also is seen shouting for the liberation of Hong Kong. This perhaps led to a situation where Blizzard had no other option but to suspend Chung. Further, he also was deprived of the money that he won in an event that was held recently. He also was suspended for a year. However, later the one year suspension was reviewed and it was reduced to six months by Blizzard. His prize money was also returned and this helped unruffled many feathers and might also help to defuse the situation.

Blizzard Is Having it Tough

It would be pertinent to mention here that fans and players have started to boycott Blizzard products. This could hits their revenues quite badly unless it is corrected and rectified immediately. There are others who have also started large and organized protests against BlizzCon. This is the annual convention specifically devoted to the fans and it is supposed to be held at Anaheim, in California. As we pen this article, the protests still continue in Hong Kong. The demonstrators are now becoming quite bold and are perhaps seen asking for what is referred to as universal suffrage in the entire city of Hong Kong and surrounding areas.

Hence it is quite obvious that these are extremely trying times for Blizzard Entertainment. On the one hand they cannot be seen antagonizing the players and there are thousands of players who form the backbone of the entire movement for freedom in Hong Kong. On the other hand, Blizzard Entertainment is also bound by certain rules and regulations covering operations in countries like China and Taiwan. They are right now adopting a wait-and-watch attitude and it will take some time before the actual picture becomes clear. However, as things stand today, it is obvious that emotions are running quite high and there are thousands of diehard fans of World of Warcraft who are ready to sacrifice their love for the game for what they consider as a large cause for democracy for Hong Kong.