After Blitzchung Debacle, Players Flock to Turtle WoW: “Here, You Can Actually Say What’s On Your Mind—Even If It’s ‘Free Gallywix’”
September 1, 2025 | Azeroth eQuirer
In a stunning reversal of fortune, Turtle WoW has seen a record influx of players—many still clutching digital protest signs—after Blizzard’s now-infamous “Blitzchung” incident left a crater-sized hole in its reputation for player trust.
“Speak Your Mind—Unless It’s About China”
It all started in 2019, when professional Hearthstone player Blitzchung was yeeted from a tournament for uttering the unspeakable phrase “Liberate Hong Kong.” Blizzard’s official stance at the time:
“We support free speech, just not on our platform, in our game, or anywhere someone might be watching.”
Within minutes, the company banned Blitzchung, deleted the VOD, and retroactively replaced all emotes with generic “Apologies for the inconvenience” messages.
Corporate Response: “Politics Have No Place Here (Except Our Own)”
Blizzard’s legal department, still staffed by murlocs and questionable interns, scrambled to control the damage by issuing a global ban on all chat not related to “Wholesome Fun™.” A leaked memo even revealed plans for a “Neutral Speech Filter” that automatically converts any protest into a recipe for Murloc soup.
“I got a three-day suspension for saying ‘Justice for Mankrik’s Wife,’” said one frustrated player. “They said it sounded too political.”
Meanwhile on Turtle WoW: “Say What You Want, Just Don’t Be a Jackass”
Turtle WoW, by contrast, issued a statement declaring their official chat rules as:
- No hate speech.
- No gold-selling.
- No spoilers for the end of Lost.
Otherwise, “say whatever you want.” The result? Players found themselves in global chat actually talking to each other, sharing opinions, and occasionally forming pickup groups instead of mobs.
“I yelled ‘Free Southshore’ and someone invited me to a raid,” said one new convert. “On retail, that would’ve triggered a ten-day mute and a call from Bobby Kotick’s assistant.”
Trust Earned, Not Enforced
With trust in short supply, more players are logging into Turtle WoW—where the only thing you’ll get banned for is being an actual bot (or spamming ASCII art of Bobby Kotick’s head on a murloc’s body).
Blizzard, meanwhile, issued a new statement:
“We hear your feedback and are working on new technologies to ensure no one ever says anything controversial, ever again. Unless it’s about the Horde. The Horde is fair game.”