Blizzard risks triggering a fresh censorship furor after barring three more "Hearthstone" players from participating in tournaments after the trio held up a sign supporting the ongoing Hong Kong protests.

Casey Chambers, Corwin Dark, and a third player with the online moniker TJammer held up a sign that read "Free Hong Kong, Boycott Blizz" toward the end of a livestreamed match last week.

Blizzard, which is partly owned by the Chinese gaming giant Tencent, has been accused of trying to appease China after punishing tournament players voicing support for the Hong Kong protests.

Chambers tweeted that he was "happy to announce" the ban, in an apparent mockery of Blizzard's action.

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Blizzard is embroiled in a fresh censorship controversy after giving three more "Hearthstone" players a ban for supporting the Hong Kong protests during a tournament.

The US games giant, which develops "Hearthstone," barred the three college players from taking part in tournaments for six months after they held up a sign that read "Free Hong Kong, Boycott Blizz" during an official competition stream last week.

Casey Chambers, Corwin Dark, and a third player with the online moniker TJammer — members of the American University esports team — were competing in the Collegiate "Hearthstone" Championship.

A YouTube user named Bryant Lurango posted a video of the stream on YouTube:

The three were on the verge of losing a match before they wielded the sign. Blizzard's camera then cut away, and the casters carried on as if nothing happened.

Though Blizzard initially took no action, Chambers, Dark, and TJammer were scheduled to play again in the collegiate tournament, forcing Blizzard to play its hand. It informed the three players of its decision via email early Wednesday, Chambers confirmed on Twitter.

Read more: The banned 'Hearthstone' gamer at the center of a China censorship furor spoke out for the first time after Blizzard reduced his ban

Chambers, whose in-game moniker is Xcelsior, appeared philosophical about the decision, writing: "Happy to announce the AU Hearthstone team received a six month ban from competition. While delayed I appreciate all players being treated equally and no one being above the rules."

—Casey Chambers (@Xcelsior_hs) 16 October 2019

The tweet included a screenshot of Blizzard's email, which read: "Every Voice Matters at Blizzard, and we strongly encourage everyone in our community to share their viewpoints in the many places available to express themselves. However, the official broadcast needs to be about the game and the competition, and to be a place where all are welcome."

In a statement about the ruling on its website, Blizzard said the players were "engaging in behavior disruptive to the official esports broadcast."

The games firm's tough stance came amid a week of intense scrutiny for its ban of another professional "Hearthstone" competitor, Chung "Blitzchung" Ng Wai, who yelled "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!" in Chinese during a postgame interview.

Blizzard, which is partly owned by the Chinese gaming giant Tencent, was accused of trying to appease China by censoring the player. Blizzard has denied that China influenced its decision.

Blizzard gave Blitzchung a yearlong ban and confiscated his prize money, but it softened its stance after considerable public outrage. As many as 30 employees at Blizzard's parent company, Activision Blizzard, reportedly walked out of work in protest on October 8.

Though Blizzard appeared to make some concessions, halving Blitzchung's ban to six months and reinstating his winnings, the company has become the target of memes and mockery on social media.