Mitsubishi pulls sponsorship of Blizzard tournaments following Hong Kong bans

[Cal Jeffrey]

A hot potato: Activision Blizzard's PR nightmare just won't go away. The latest repercussion of Blizzard Entertainment’s decision to ban Ng “Blitzchung” Wai Chung, are now being felt as it starts to lose sponsors at its esports events. Backpedaling and spin has not helped the company stifle the public outcry.

Blizzard's Blitzchung/Hong Kong fiasco is now leading to it losing advertisement deals. The first company to pull its endorsements is Mitsubishi. It was a rather quiet exit with no formal announcement by either company.

The change was first noticed a couple of days after Blitzchung’s suspension by an eagle-eyed Redditor who posted before and after pictures that clearly show the removal of Mitsubishi’s signature logo and prop cars that had been seen earlier in the Asia Pacific Hearthstone tournament.

Before Chung's ban (Image via imgur)

After Chung's ban (Image via Imgur)

With no official word from the company, there could have been any number of other explanations for the product to be missing. However, speculation ended today when Mitsubishi Motors' Taiwan division confirmed that it has pulled out of sponsoring Blizzard’s esports events.

The Daily Beast reports that Mitsubishi spokeswoman Erica Roberts said the car manufacturer ended its sponsorship two days after the Blitzchung banning. It should be noted that the company did not admit that the severing of ties was related to Blizzard’s actions and declined further comment. However, the timing of the departure shows the writing on the wall.

The game maker has remained silent in the more than two weeks that has passed since Mitsubishi's axed its endorsement. Understandably, the company does not want to bring further attention to the controversy it has raised.

Blizzard Entertainment seems to have dug itself a hole that no amount of PR spin can pull it out of. The company has stood behind its decision to ban Blitzchung and other players insisting that the punishments are not political. However, that has not seemed to matter to players, employees, and now sponsors.

Image credit: Epov Dmitry via Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/82555-mitsubishi-pulls-sponsorship-blizzard-tournaments-following-hong-kong.html

 

[m4a4]

I'm not surprised. They're playing it safe to avoid the outrage culture targeting them...

 

[Impudicus]

I still find it odd that everyone wants to free the Hong Kong people from the Chinese Government, but don't seem to care about freeing the Chinese people from the Chinese Government.

 

[JaredTheDragon]

I still find it odd that everyone wants to free the Hong Kong people from the Chinese Government, but don't seem to care about freeing the Chinese people from the Chinese Government.

Or the American people from their Tyrants, or the European people, or the WORLD people. It's all quite droll.

 

[yRaz]

I still find it odd that everyone wants to free the Hong Kong people from the Chinese Government, but don't seem to care about freeing the Chinese people from the Chinese Government.

One step at a time, Rome wasn't built in a day. Let Hong Kong encourage the rest of China to rise up against their tyrannical government

 

[Nobina]

I still find it odd that everyone wants to free the Hong Kong people from the Chinese Government, but don't seem to care about freeing the Chinese people from the Chinese Government.

Don't forget to do your part and post hashtags on Twitter to help the Chinese people.

 

[Yynxs]

Odd that no one is mentioning Taiwan here either. btw: you can only 'free' a people that want to be freed. The Chinese have had bad emperors for thousands of years and, unless invaded, just work around them. With Google and Apple's help, that may no longer be possible, but the people on the street don't know that yet. Remember 'one baby'? Well that definitely cut the need for change to more manageable proportions.

With science the way it is now and Google's tools for social engineering the way it is now under Xi, look for sponsored births and mandatory baby sex choice as viable. Properly managed, each man has a woman and each woman has a man and gay is eliminated as an error. Wait to see how that is gamed for the richest.

One of the questions you should be asking is: Is the mandatory protestor organ harvesting increasing the lifespans of the China equivalent of the Politburo? Emperors used to eventually die off.

 

[ZedRM]

I still find it odd that everyone wants to free the Hong Kong people from the Chinese Government, but don't seem to care about freeing the Chinese people from the Chinese Government.

This. Tibet needs to join in the fight as well.

 

[Cubi Dorf]

Maybe international sport league is just never going to working. people can’t seem to being able leave politics out of and just play sport. I feel bad for blizzard got stuck in middle of politics when they just want to organize a professional league but people can’t just be professional and leave politics out. then it blizzard problem because people want them to take sides, but that will anger one side no matter what they are doing. as they say, that is why we can’t have nice thing

 

[ZedRM]

Maybe international sport league is just never going to working. people can’t seem to being able leave politics out of and just play sport. I feel bad for blizzard got stuck in middle of politics when they just want to organize a professional league but people can’t just be professional and leave politics out. then it blizzard problem because people want them to take sides, but that will anger one side no matter what they are doing. as they say, that is why we can’t have nice thing

Remaining neutral in this day & age is difficult. I say Blizzard is getting what it deserves for taking the wrong side of things.

 

[Cubi Dorf]

Remaining neutral in this day & age is difficult. I say Blizzard is getting what it deserves for taking the wrong side of things.

I don’t think they took side. they punish player for causing disruption and breaking a rule, not for being against china. if someone from china protest hong kong and got ban you wouldn’t care. your opinion is biased by the politics. if you break rule, it doesn’t matter why. you still get punishment

 

[ZedRM]

I don’t think they took side. they punish player for causing disruption and breaking a rule, not for being against china. if someone from china protest hong kong and got ban you wouldn’t care. your opinion is biased by the politics. if you break rule, it doesn’t matter why. you still get punishment

Rubbish, they took sides to protect their greater Chinese interests.

 

[Misagt]

Next time I'm looking for a car I'll make sure I check out MItsubishi.