Overwatch Hero Mei Has Become A Symbol Of The Hong Kong Protests

It seems the controversy spawned by Blizzard Entertainment's decision to suspend professional Hearthstone player Chung 'Blitzchung' Ng Wai has gained more steam. The situation has broken into the mainstream, even capturing the attention of politicians from both the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States. Though the criticism continues to pour in across social media and Reddit, some users have turned towards more proactive pursuits.

Multiple posts have appeared on r/HongKong and the newly reopened r/Blizzard rallying the internet to transform Overwatch hero Mei into a symbol of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests. These threads are filled with slogans, messages of solidarity and support, and artwork. Some of the images depict Mei wearing a gas mask in the style of the protesters; others show her sporting Hong Kong colors and the five-petal flower shown on the Hong Kong flag.

"It would be such a shame if Mei from Overwatch became a pro-democracy symbol and got Blizzard's games banned in China," said one Redditor. "If we are gonna do it, we are gonna do it big: Mei becomes the icon of Hong Kong revolution," said another alongside an edited version of an Overwatch cinematic with references to the protests. 

Much like #BoycottBlizzard, the movement has already caught fire on Twitter under #meiwithhongkong. "Mei from Overwatch says LIBERATE HONG KONG," tweeted one user. "Make Mei the new symbol of Hong Kong's resistance. Or atleast meme it until China bans blizzard products," rallied another.

Though Mei hails from Xi'an, China according to Overwatch lore, the Hong Kong protesters and supporters have still tapped into her potential as a symbol of the growing pro-democracy movement. Many believe Blizzard's decision to suspend Blizchung was motivated by greed. Should a Blizzard character come to symbolize anti-communism, acting as a direct criticism of the Chinese government, it could result in Overwatch or other Blizzard products being banned in China, hurting the company's revenue, an outcome some might call poetic justice.