Fans of games publisher Blizzard have been showing their displeasure in the company punishing Hearthstone pro player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai (pictured) for having an openly pro-Hong Kong stance.

The protests have included - as reported by Kotaku - college Hearthstone players from American University holding up a sign calling for both Hong Kong's independence from China and for viewers to boycott publisher and developer Blizzard during the closing moments of its match against Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Viewers could see the banner for several seconds before the camera was swiftly moved to the show the opposing team.

Meanwhile - as reported by Eurogamer - the r/Blizzard subreddit has been closed down following the backlash to the company suspending Ng Wai. Oh, and it also seems like the developer and publisher’s own staff aren’t on board with the ban. Kotaku reports that employees have covered up ‘Think Globally’ and ‘Every Voice Matters’ from Blizzard’s eight core company values.

This comes after the company’s decision to remove pro Hearthstone player Chung “Blitzchung” Ng Wai from the Grandmasters tournament after the player called for Hong Kong's liberation from China in a now-removed post-match interview.

For months now, there have been protests throughout Hong Kong, as its citizens call for independence from China.

As the controversy surrounding the Overwatch maker continues, it will be interesting to see how fans act at Blizzcon. If there were ever a stage to make further protests, it would be the convention.