At BlizzCon 2019, J. Allen Brack’s apology and acceptance of protesters for Hong Kong overshadowed its game announcements, including Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV.
Following a reduction in Blitzchung’s suspension, American University players have now also been banned for six months. We chat with an attorney about free speech. [UPDATED]
After days of silence, Blizzard released a statement addressing the controversial player ban at the Hearthstone Grandmaster’s Tournament late Friday afternoon. While Blitzchung’s prize has been restored and his ban time reduced, the top-level player isn’t sure he’ll want to return to competitive Hearthstone.
The backlash against Blizzard is palpable, and it could damage the studio’s brand and business. GameDaily chats with analysts about Blizzard’s bottom line, and PR veterans about crisis management. [UPDATE]
Reaction to the move has been almost universally negative, with effects stretching beyond the games industry.
David Messinger will oversee marketing across the company, including Blizzard and King. One analyst tells GameDaily that this could be a way to turn perception around for the slumping publisher.
Although King remained mostly the same, both Activision Publishing and Blizzard took significant hits to segmented net revenue this quarter, leading to an overall decline for Activision Blizzard.
With Pearce and Mike Morhaime now out, it’s the end of an era for the venerable studio.
The former Blizzard boss acknowledges that crunch is not sustainable, and Blizzard itself has said it aims to be a ‘no-crunch team.’
Conflicting announcements fuels confusion surrounding in-game ‘gambling.’
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