Tempo Storm has added Asia-Pacific Grandmaster Wai “Blitzchung” Chung Ng to its Hearthstone roster of professional players. The move is a bit of surprise considering Wai’s comments following the initial ban he received for making a pro-Hong Kong comment on a Hearthstone stream of a competitive event.
When the punishment of a one-year ban and the revoking of professional earnings was announced, Wai spoke directly to his fanbase through Twitch. There, he stated, "Today I lost Hearthstone, it's only a matter of four years, but if Hong Kong lost, it's a matter of a lifetime." Those comments made it seem as though Wai would not be returning to Hearthstone, but the reduction of disciplinary action, and perhaps this endorsement by Tempo Storm, appears to have shifted his plan for the coming years.
In their signing of Wai, Tempo Storm stated that they provide, “support at a critical time to a prolific player…[and] unwavering commitment and advocacy for players and content creators.” They go on to describe the period in which Wai is banned from formal competition as one where he will instead look to augment his streaming presence and train hard, representing the Tempo Storm brand abroad.
Andrey Yanyuk, CEO of Tempo Storm, added the following about the signing of Wai:
“We believe first and foremost in supporting players and encouraging them to engage and to speak out on the things about which they are most passionate. In many ways, we value the character and integrity of our players as much as, if not more than, their tournament placings. blitzchung brings incredible talent, an infectious personality, and a great deal of enthusiasm, for Hearthstone as well as his community and others around him. He exemplifies what Tempo believes in, and we welcome him as an ambassador for our brand.”
The statement is a curious one, to say the least. While Tempo Storm may approve of Wai’s passion and determination to speak about Hong Kong, Blizzard has made it clear that it does not. In the months to come Wai will be free to speak his mind on the issues pressing Hong Kong in this time of protest, and if doing so on his own stream, he will face no consequences.
Where the potential for conflict lies is in future competitive events with Blizzard. If Wai can again climb his way to the top of a competitive rank, which is clearly not outside of the realm of possibility considering how well he played in the second season of the Grandmasters Tour, Blizzard will be faced with another sticky situation. Will it allow Wai to compete if he continues speaking in a way that will anger China? To date, we have seen Blizzard cater strongly to the Chinese government in order to access their market, and one can only imagine the potential for trouble if Wai becomes the face of Hearthstone through a future championship.
In joining Tempo Storm, Wai stated, “It has been my dream to be a part of Tempo Storm and I am excited to join the team, as it is one of the best in Hearthstone. I had been thinking about whether to continue my Hearthstone career in the past few weeks. Since I haven't reached my professional goals yet, and I don't want to fall by the wayside, I will start competing again after I am unbanned.”
Source: tempostorm.com, npr.com