Blizzard has canceled the Overwatch launch event scheduled for Wednesday evening. The event was to take place at the Nintendo World Store in New York City.
Please be aware that the previously announced Overwatch launch event scheduled for Wednesday, 10/16 at NintendoNYC has been cancelled by Blizzard. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
— Nintendo NY (@NintendoNYC) October 15, 2019
While no reason has been said to why the event was canceled, it is most likely due to the backlash following the banning of Hearthstone player Blitzchung after he made a pro-Hong Kong protest message.
Not only did Blizzard ban Blitzchung and rescind his winnings, but they also permanently cut ties with the casters who were hiding behind their desks as Blitzchung made his message.
Blizzard has gone back on the bans and reduced their ban to a sixth-month suspension, but tensions are still red hot. Social media response to the announcement has been decidedly anti-Blizzard, with many expressing pro-Hong Kong protest messages as well.
In addition to the event set to celebrate the launch of Overwatch on the Switch, attendees that signed up could meet voice actors from the game as well.
Another interesting aspect is the use of Mei by the Hong Kong freedom movement. Protestors are posting pictures of the Chinese Overwatch character, and rumors are that this use might cause the Chinese government to ban Overwatch completely due to this.
Blizzard Could See More Backlash Soon
If Blizzard hopes have this all rollover, they might have to keep waiting. BlizzCon 2019 will happen on November 1-3, and there may be protests following Blizzard’s recent actions.
Overwatch will be available on Switch later today. It will require a Nintendo Switch Online account to play online, but the Legendary Edition comes with a code for a 3-month membership.
Purchasing the Legendary Edition of Overwatch on Switch also comes with five legendary skins, five epic hero skins, five origin hero skins, and pre-purchasing comes with the Noire Widowmaker skin.
To read more about Overwatch on Nintendo Switch, go to playoverwatch.com.
