Congressman Shames Blizzard for Allowing Hate Groups in World of Warcraft

Blizzard has been cast under scrutiny once again. This time it's not about their pro-China position, but for the allowed congregation of racist groups in World of Warcraft.

BlizzCon, a convention dedicated to Blizzard games, took place last weekend in Anaheim. Recently reported by Vice, United States Congressman Lou Correa, who represents that district, outed Blizzard for allowing hate groups to gather in their game online.

"I was looking forward to welcoming you to Anaheim for your 13th #BlizzCon. Instead, I find myself asking how this can exist in one of your games."

Correa is specifically speaking about a group called The Enclave. This is a player-run guild with a well-established history of racism and antisemitism. Correa learned about the group when one of his staff members discovered a "racist Halloween costume contest" while playing the popular MMO. Costumes seen included a "KKK" member in white robes with African American civil rights activists as slaves beside them.

The congressman is pushing for Blizzard to address the issue on Twitter, highlighting how allowing these groups to gather will only allow them to grow and spread their hateful ideas.

"The @FBI knows online radicalization is real. I hope you agree & will remedy this immediately. Racism isn't a game. . . By allowing white supremacists refuge, companies inadvertently create safe harbors that extremists can leverage to recruit and indoctrinate other people while also degrading the enjoyment of their own fans."

This is only the latest in a string of bad press for the game company. The company has been under fire since they banned pro Hearthstone player Chung 'blitzchung' Ng Wai for making pro-Hong Kong remarks during a livestream. The controversy around this decision has since lost the company sponsors and dampened the reveal of games like Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.