Blizzard Entertainment's president, J. Allen Brack has responded to outcry over a Hearthstone Grandmaster's banning and confiscation of winnings after they voiced support for the protests in Hong Kong.
In a lengthy letter posted on the publisher's site, Brack stated that Blitzchung would now receive his winnings, and that his ban would be reduced from one year to six months.
"We’ve had a chance to pause, to listen to our community, and to reflect on what we could have done better," Brack wrote. "In hindsight, our process wasn’t adequate, and we reacted too quickly."
Brack went on to note that "the specific views expressed by blitzchung were NOT a factor in the decision we made. I want to be clear: our relationships in China had no influence on our decision."
"We want to ensure that we maintain a safe and inclusive environment for all our players, and that our rules and processes are clear. All of this is in service of another important Blizzard value—Play Nice; Play Fair.
Blizzard's reaction to an on-air call for the liberation of Hong Kong by a Hearthstone Grandmaster has resulted in a backlash that has put the company between a rock and hard place.
During an Asia-Pacific Grandmasters broadcast, Hearthstone Grandmaster, Chung 'blitzchung Ng Wai appeared wearing a gas mask, and declared "Liberate Hong Kong. Revolution of our age!"
Blizzard has since issued a 12 month ban and revoked his winnings, citing a rule violation that prohibits players from "engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image."
IO Interactive, the talented studio behind the Hitman series has announced the extension of their deal with publishing giant Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for a new game coming to PC and console.
IOI CEO Hakan Abrak stated that the upcoming title would be set in a "new universe", so it's highly likely that the recently opened studio in Sweden is taking the lead.
Abrak further went on to say "We're looking forward to continuing this relationship. IO Interactive has a proud history of creating compelling characters and universes for our players to enjoy--it's in our DNA."
Former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan has revealed what he's been up to since leaving the company in 2016.
The newly announced ProbablyMonsters is a non-traditional multi-studio company with plans to create AAA titles. And by "non-traditional" it means more than just the fact that it has been operating for three years in "stealth mode."
Ryan's vision for the company is one that guides and invests in new studios as a majority owner, while allowing them to operate as standalone businesses. ProbablyMonsters will assist in business planning and management, while also helping to establish publishing deals.
Sony today confirmed what many of us had suspected – yes, its next-gen console will be called the PlayStation 5, and yes, it will launch in the Christmas period of 2020.
In a post on The PlayStation Blog, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan spoke briefly about the upcoming console, specifically about some new features coming to the controller.
"One of our goals with the next generation is to deepen the feeling of immersion when you play games," said Ryan, "and we had the opportunity with our new controller to reimagine how the sense of touch can add to that immersion."
Those eager to jump back into the meatgrinders of Hell will have to wait. Doom Eternal has been pushed back from its original release in November to March 20 next year.
The news comes by way of Bethesda, where it was confirmed that id Software would be delaying the title in order to meet the developers "standards of speed and polish". While the news will no doubt be disappointing to those eager to get back to ripping and tearing, the end of this year is already stacked with major game releases and a little extra time in the oven is always preferred over a broken or buggy premature release (other publishers, take note...)
In addition to the delay, Bethesda and id Software also announced that Invasion mode, which sees players taking on the role of a demon and invading another players game, will be released as a free update following launch. The studio also confirmed that the Nintendo Switch version will not release at the same tie, but will instead see its release date confirmed at a later date.
After the first trailer for the upcoming Avengers game, many fans suspected that the person narrating the video could be none other than Kumala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel. Following a reveal at the Marvel Games panel at New York Comic-Con, it turns out those fans were spot on.
In the new trailer, we're introduced to Kumala and her awesome polymorph powers that allow her to 'embiggen', changing her size to suit any given situation. We discover that she becomes an Inhuman after the events of A-day seen in the recent trailer. She's a major Avengers fan and rightfully suspects that they were not in fact responsible for the disaster that forms the crux of the game.
Not only will she play an essential role in the story, but Ms. Marvel is also one of the playable characters in the game. Check out the awesome trailer below to see her powers in action.
Rumours have been circulating for some time that Red Dead Redemption 2 would be coming to PC, but Rockstar Games has now confirmed it.
Red Dead 2 will release for PC on November 5th, and will be a launch title for the Google Stadia when it releases the same month.
Rockstar has stated the PC version will feature "range of graphical and technical enhancements for increased immersion," while also adding new Bounty Hunting Missions, Gang Hideouts, and weapons.
Announced on the official PlayStation Twitter account today, Shawn Layden, the chairman of Sony Worldwide Studios is departing after more than thirty years with the company.
The official PlayStation account Tweeted "It is with great emotion that we announce that Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden will be departing SIE. His visionary leadership will be greatly missed. We wish him success in future endeavors and are deeply grateful for his years of service. Thanks for everything, Shawn!"
Layden primarily joined Sony's Corporate Communications Department all the way back in 1987 and became the president of Sony Computer Entertainment in 2007. Layden then went on to take over Jack Tretton's role as president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America in 2014 which he held for four years before becoming the chairman of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios just last year.
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