Update 2:

Since Blizzard's decision to ban Ng Wai "blitzchung" Chung for a year after proclaiming support for Hong Kong's liberation movement during an official stream, many online have criticized the company's decision. The r/Hearthstone subreddit is filled with accounts of fans expressing support for Chung and those who say they're quitting the game in solidarity.

"Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard's sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the pulic, or otherwise damages Blizzard image will result in removal from Grandmasters and reduction of the player's prize total to $0 USD, in addition to other remedies which may be provided for under the Handbook and BLizzard's Website Terms."

The r/Blizzard subreddit has even been locked down, presumably in response to the heated discussions that are occurring within the community. The subreddit is currently an invite-only subreddit, and is inaccessible for the time being.Following the interview, Blizzard has announced that Ng Wai "blitzchung" Chung was in violation of the 2019 Hearthstone Grandmasters Official Competition rules. Blizzard says it will remove Blitzchung from the Grandmasters, and he will not receive prize money for his performance in Grandmasters Season 2.Furthermore, Blitzchung has been banned from Hearthstone esports for 12 months starting on October 5, 2019. Both casters have also lost their contracts with Blizzard.According to Blizzard, Blitzchung's actions during the interview violated Rules section 6.1 (o) which reads:"Grandmasters is the highest tier of Hearthstone Esports and we take tournament rule violations very seriously," Blizzard wrote in a blog post announcing Blitzchung's ban. "We'd like to re-emphasize tournament and player conduct within the Hearthstone esports community from both players and talent. While we stand by one's right to express individual thoughts and opinions, players and other participants that elect to participate in our esports competition must abide by the official competition rules."Speaking with IGN, Chung says he doesn't regret what he said during the stream. "I expected the decision by Blizzard, I think it's unfair, but I do respect their decision. I'm not [regretful] of what I said."Chung added, "I shouldn't be afraid of these kinds of white terror." When asked what 'white terror' meant, Chung clarified, "It describes anonymous acts that create a climate of fear."Original Story Follows:

IGN's Top 25 Modern PC Games 26 IMAGES

Footage of an official Blizzard interview with a Hong Kong-based professional Hearthstone player has been taken offline after the player expressed support for the protests in Hong Kong.InvenGlobal first reported that Ng Wai “blitzchung” Chung expressed his support of the protests while being interviewed by the official Taiwanese Hearthstone organization following his win against South Korean player Jang “DawN” Hyun Jae on October 6.During the interview, Chung wore a face mask on camera. It was a reference to the government-issued ban on wearing face masks while protesting, something Hong Kong protestors have been doing to protect their identities.Chung’s support of the Hong Kong protests was solidified later in the interview when he shouted, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our age!” The stream was quickly cut to a commercial break, and videos of the Grandmasters match are no longer available online.In a statement to InvenGlobal Ng says, “As you know there are serious protests in my country now. My call on stream was just another form of participation of the protest that I wish to grab more attention… It could cause me a lot of trouble, even my personal safety in real life. But I think it’s my duty to say something about the issue.”Hong Kong is currently in the midst of a public protest that began earlier this year when Hong Kong announced plans to enact laws that would allow China to extradite citizens from Hong Kong for judiciary reasons. Hong Kong citizens protested the laws, and while the city government has backed down from plans to enact them, the movement has grown as calls for liberation intensify.There are concerns over what Chung's proclamations may lead to as the Chinese government is known to censor public criticisms against its government and leadership. A Taiwanese horror game was taken offline since it was discovered to include a joke about Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South Park has reportedly been banned over a recent episode critical of, ironically, Chinese censorship.IGN has reached out to Blitzchung and Blizzard for a statement on the matter.

Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter