Following the uproar surrounding comments made by Seoul Dynasty player Jon-ryeol “Saebyeolbe” Park, the boycott by Chinese OWL teams has come to an end.
Park got caught in the storm due to comments he made during a livestream, where he talked about China and censorship within the country. He specifically talked about Taiwan and Hong Kong and how he wasn’t able to comment about the situation surrounding those countries, going on to say that you have to give in to Chinese censorship if you want a piece of the Chinese money.
After being called out by the Chinese Overwatch League teams and Chinese fans, Park went on to issue an apology, which was not accepted by the teams, leading to a boycott in scrims. This put both Seoul Dynasty and Blizzard in a tough situation, as both got caught in the crossfire. Blizzard recently came out to say the boycott has come to an end, however.
Statement pic.twitter.com/PdMdYXJMcV
— Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) May 6, 2021
The teams involved in the boycott went on to post statements saying the situation has been talked about and resolved. “Through the active involvement of the Overwatch League, and with collaboration from the teams involved, we recently had many rounds of discussion and have finally reached an agreement on this incident. Meanwhile, all teams have agreed that providing the best competitive matches for our fans around the world is the number one priority.”
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Image Credit: Blizzard Entertainment (Robert Paul)
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Previous article: 04/05/12
The Chinese Overwatch community is in an uproar following statements made by Park “Saebyeolbe” Jong-ryeol during his livestream.
While streaming on a Chinese live streaming platform, Saebyeolbe made comments surrounding China and Hong Kong and the lack of free speech. He especially touched on making money on Douyu, the Chinese streaming platform, and how you have to be “a good dog” if you want to make money there. His comments were not well received by the Chinese Overwatch community, however.
Following the uproar surrounding his comments, Saebyeolbe posted an apology in the form of a handwritten note on his instagram page. This apology wasn’t enough for the Chinese Overwatch League teams, who are now boycotting him and are refusing to scrim with him or play against him.
In a statement made by the General Manager of the Shangai Dragons, Yang “Van” Van, the outrage is explained further. “He’s a very loved figure in China and he should understand that position and assume his responsibilities, while focussing himself on competition instead of making mistakes and challenging the sovereignty of other countries.” He would also go on to say he believed the apology was not genuine. “Although Saebyeolbe posted an apology I don’t feel this apology should be accepted and recognized, so our boycott will continue.”