As the fallout from #BoycottBlizzard continues, video game companies warn pro players and staff to keep politics private

As the fallout from Blizzard's punishment of a Hearthstone pro who expressed support for Hong Kong demonstrators during a live interview continues, video game companies and esports organisations have issued warnings to players and staff not to publish political statements on recent events.

Last night, League of Legends developer Riot, which is owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent, issued a statement revealing it had "reminded" its casters and professional players "to refrain from discussing any of these topics on air".

"Our decision also reflects that we have Riot employees and fans in regions where there has been (or there is risk of) political and/or social unrest, including places like Hong Kong," the global head of League of Legends esports, John Needham, said in a statement published to Twitter.

Read more