The reaction to yesterday’s news that Blizzard suspended Hearthstone player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Waifor expressing pro-Hong Kong views has been, well, pretty severe. Posts criticising Blizzard have been all over Reddit and Twitter, while the incident has even broken into mainstream consciousness, with Republican and Democratic politicians alike calling out the decision.
On r/HongKong, meanwhile, things have taken a rather more proactive turn, as multiple posts have appeared seeking to turn Overwatch’s Mei into a Hong Kong protest symbol.
“It would be such a shame if Mei from Overwatch became a pro-democracy symbol and got Blizzard’s games banned in China,” reads one such post. “Let’s get back at Blizzard by making Mei a pro-democracy symbol!”, says a popular tweet.
In a very short space of time, multiple posters and pieces of artwork have appeared on the sub (and the newly reopened r/Blizzard), along with slogans and supportive messages. Many present Mei in Hong Kong colours or wearing a gas mask in the style of the protestors, while one Reddit user has even edited an official Overwatch cinematic to include Hong Kong references. The movement has also spilled onto Twitter, with the hashtag #meiwithhongkong being used to share artwork and protest slogans.
Mei knows the way! You can ban players and presenters, but you can’t ban being held accountable, Blizzard from r/HongKong
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It would be a shame if Mei became a symbol for freedom from r/Blizzard
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Mei the Force be with Hong Kong from r/HongKong
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If we are gonna do it, we are gonna do it big: Mei becomes the icon of Hong Kong revolution! from r/HongKong
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In Overwatch lore, Mei’s character is actually from Xi’an in China, but Hong Kong protesters clearly see her potential as an anti-Communist Party icon – and, of course, anyone can be pro-democracy. Many view Blizzard’s suspension of the Hearthstone player as financially motivated: so turning Mei into a protest symbol is also a retaliatory move intended to get Overwatch banned (or at least censored) in China, potentially damaging Blizzard’s business interests.