While "messages" aren't always explicitly intended, Blizzard made theirs painfully clear in their response. Ugly bit of sexism that perpetuates the stereotype of gaming as the exclusive domain of underdeveloped man-children. Worse, Blizzard has done this in a calculated way with total awareness of what they're doing and why they're doing it.The goal of a game isn't necessarily to send a message.
They're free to do what they like, of course, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get called out on it.