Hong Kong e-sports player suspended for three years for pro-democracy gaming account name

Gamer ID contains Chinese characters that references pro-democracy slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times’

Representational. Interior of a gamer room lit with neon lights (Getty Images)

A professional e-sports player was reportedly suspended in Hong Kong over the “sensitive wording” in his gaming account name, local media said.

The player has been suspended by the Esports Association of Hong Kong, China, from participating in any e-sports events and competitions for a duration of three years.

The suspension was allegedly a result of his gamer ID name containing two Chinese characters that referenced the famous 2019 pro-democracy slogan, “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times”.

According to Hong Kong Free Press, the player was participating in an e-sports competition hosted by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) on Sunday.

However, local reports said that the live stream of the competition on AESF’s YouTube channel was later made unavailable on Tuesday afternoon.

The player in question was identified as Lin Qilong.

A statement issued on Monday by the Esports Association of Hong Kong said that the player would be suspended from joining competitions.

“This decision was undoubtedly a severe punishment for the player; however, we believe it is a necessary measure to uphold the fairness of the entire competition and abide by the principles of sportsmanship,” the statement read.

“In international competitions, non-competitive factors and personal emotions should be excluded, and we expect every player to understand and abide by this principle,” the statement continued.

In 2019, another professional e-sports player based in Hong Kong faced a 12-month suspension for shouting “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our time” during his participation in a prominent tournament for the game Hearthstone, organised by the American gaming company Blizzard.

The slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” initially was used by local activist Edward Leung and subsequently became a significant slogan during the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

Later, in Hong Kong’s first national security case, this slogan was deemed capable of inciting secession and was subjected to legal ramifications.