Talking about Winnie the Pooh could get you banned from Overwatch in China
Overwatch players in China are reporting that using the phrase ‘Winnie The Pooh’ in the game’s chat is resulting in immediate bans.
Users began voicing their concerns on Chinese social media platform Weibo, where claims of bans related to the popular bear began surfacing.
A translated version of the post (via Dexerto) documents that a player was banned for asking fellow teammates, “do you know who is best friend of Tigger?”
“At that time I didn’t know it was a trap, so I think about it and say “Winnie the Pooh,” a player explains, who was apparently subject to a ban.
Related: Best PC Games
Winnie The Pooh is controversial in China due to his apparent visual similarity to President Xi Jinping, who hates being compared to the cartoon animal.
This isn’t the first controversy to emerge in China regarding Winnie The Pooh in recent weeks, with a horror game called Devotion being removed from Steam for allegedly associated him with Xi Jinping.
Blizzard is yet to respond to these claims and if the Chinese Government is involved with the sudden bans affecting Chinese players.
If they are, it’s somewhat troubling that the government is able to influence freedom of speech inside videogames, especially with something as trivial as Winnie The Pooh.
What do you think about players being banned in Overwatch for this? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter @trustedreviews.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
