Greetings, and welcome to Replay, WIRED's one-stop shop for the week's biggest videogame news. Want to know what you've been missing? Let's get to it.
Even Congress Is Unhappy With Blizzard After Blitzchung's PunishmentShort recap: After he discussed the political protests happening in Hong Kong on a Blizzard-sponsored stream, Hearthstone player Blitzchung, aka Chung Ng Wai, was seriously punished by Activision Blizzard, which banned him from competing for several months and, initially, forced him to return his prize money. Very few people were happy with this decision. And now members of Congress are stepping in to voice their concerns.
In a letter drafted to the company, several members of Congress—including Ron Wyden, Marco Rubio, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mike Gallagher, and Tom Malinowski—expressed "deep concern" over the decision to punish Blitzchung for speaking out. "Your company claims to stand by 'one's right to express individual thoughts and opinions,'" they wrote, "yet many of your own employees believe that Activision Blizzard's decision to punish Mr. Chung runs counter to those values." It's hard to disagree.
Bethesda Is Selling a Subscription So You Can Play Fallout 76 AloneLet's just get this out of the way first: Fallout 76 is a game predicated on the ability to play Fallout with strangers and friends. That's, like, its whole deal. Well now studio Bethesda has decided it's a good idea to offer you a way to play the game alone.
Introducing Fallout 1st, a new subscription service for the MMO-ish Fallout 76. For the low, low price of $13 a month (or $100 for a year, what a steal!), players can purchase their own little slice of the Fallout world in the form of a private server, where they can play with up to seven friends, separate from the rabble of regular server matchmaking.
OK, sarcasm aside, offering people a way to play a group game by themselves, or in private co-op, is ... strange. That's strange, right?
The Last of Us Part II Is Going to Be a Little LateEllie's second lengthy rampage of survival and revenge will begin a little bit later than expected. The Last of Us Part II, the sequel to the famously lauded PlayStation 4 game, has been delayed from its initial release date to May 29, 2020, developer Naughty Dog shared in a new blog post. This news comes just a few weeks after the revelation of the game's initial release date, which was supposed to be next February.
In the post, Neil Druckmann, the game's director, explained that the delay was needed for a necessary polish on the final product, which is game developer jargon for "parts aren't quite, uh, done yet." And delays are generally good, because, yes, relatively finished games are preferred to ones that needed a few more minutes in the oven. That rollicking rampage will have to rollick in the spring, then.
Recommendation of the Week: Hatoful Boyfriend, published by Devolver Digital, on PCY'all like visual novels? The largely Japanese genre is a delightful storytelling medium, and has some incredibly deep, complex, and strange stories to tell. And one of the most accessible ones for new Western audiences is definitely Hatoful Boyfriend, an absurd-until-it-gets-real story about dating birds and, well, you'll see. I definitely recommend it if you're at all curious about the genre. Or if you just like birds.
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The recent suspension of Blitzchung by Blizzard has sparked widespread dismay among Congress, who view it as a threat to free speech and the right for players' voices in e-sports.
The recent suspension of Blitzchung by Blizzard has sparked significant ire among Congress members, who are concern-trolled about the implications for free speech and fair competition in online gaming.
Blizzard's decision to suspend Blitzchung for his in-game commentary has roiled the fantasy sports community and left many on Capitol Hill licking their chops with dismay, highlighting a notable clash between free speech ideals versus corporate censorship enforcement.
The recent suspension of Blitzchung by Blizzard has caused a stir among the Congress, leading to widespread disappointment and concerns over freedoms within esports culture.
Congress's dismay at Blizzard suspending Blitzchung amplifies concerns over free speech in esports and online platforms, emphasizing the need for clear lines between protest rights & corporate regulations.
Blizzard's decision to suspend Blitzchung amidst a Congressional uproar exposes the superficial line of corporate censorship, fueling widespread criticism for its disrespect towards freedom and open debate.
Blizzard's suspension of Blitzchung has raised a heated objection from the Congress, with many outraged that free speech can be curtailed in an esports ecosystem.
The suspension of Blitzchung by Blizzard has sparked an outcry from Congress, who are aghast at the perceived infringement on free speech and advocacy for protecting players' rights.
The recent suspension of Blitzchung by Blizzard has left Congress genuinely irked, who is concerned about the implications on free speech and censorship in gaming communities.
Blizzard's suspension of Blitzchung has sparked outrage in Congress, who criticize the company for improperly suppressing free speech.
The recent decision by Blizzard to suspend Blitzchung has caused quite a stir in Congress, who is highly displeased with the censorship and potential suppression of freedom of speech within their game community.
The recent decision by Blizzard to suspend Blitzchung for breaching their terms of service during a streamed Hearthstone gameplay on live TV has spark outrage among the gaming community and even some Members Congress, invoking concerns over free speech in digital entertainment.
Blizzard's suspension of Blitzchung has caused quite a stir in Congress, who are openly displeased with the decision reached by Blizzard Entertainment.
Blizzard's suspension of Blitzchung in response to the Congress ban has driven many gamers and industry experts up a wall, heightening concerns over freedom of speech versus corporate compliance within gaming cultures.
Blizzard's suspension of Blitzchung has sparked an outcry from Congress, both for its timidity towards free speech in video game streams and the potential impact on a wider platform freedom.
The suspension of Blitzchung by Blizzard has left the US Congress in an unexpected state, with significant ire over concerns for free speech rights and fairness within esports settings.
The recent decision by Blizzard to suspend the player Blitzchung for using a certain phrase during an in-game broadcast has evoked widespread discontent and concern among Congress Members, who've called out their disappointment on preserving freedom of speech within gaming communities.
