Blizzard just announced that they will be changing the in-game name of Jesse McCree in Overwatch and the upcoming Overwatch 2. Jesse McCree was named after the real-world former Blizzard employee of the same name. It just so happens that the real-world McCree was one of the people involved in the now infamous Cosby Suite. This is where McCree along with several other Blizzard higher-ups referred to a 2013 BlizzCon suite where they allegedly recruited women for sexual favors. This is all, of course, just one part of the larger ongoing sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit brought on by the state of California against Activision Blizzard.
Having a character named after this person probably isn't such a hot idea. This is precisely why Blizzard announced that they will be changing the name of the in-game character. Blizzard says that they want to change the name "to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for."
"We realize that any change to such a well-loved and central hero in the game's fiction will take time to roll out correctly, and we'll share updates as this work progress. In the near term, we had planned to kick off a narrative arc in September supported with new story and game content, of which McCree was a key part. Since we want to integrate this change into that story arc, we will be delaying the new arc until later this year and instead launch a new FFA map this September. Going forward, in-game characters will no longer be named after real employees and we will be more thoughtful and discerning about adding real world references in future Overwatch content.
"This will help reinforce that we're building a fictional universe that is unmistakably different from the real world and better illustrates that the creation of Overwatch is truly a team effort. Work on these updates is underway, and they are just a part of our ongoing commitment to honest reflection and making whatever changes are necessary to build a future worth fighting for. We know that actions speak louder than words, and we hope to show you our commitment to making Overwatch a better experience in-game and continue to make our team the best it can be."
"This will help reinforce that we're building a fictional universe that is unmistakably different from the real world and better illustrates that the creation of Overwatch is truly a team effort. Work on these updates is underway, and they are just a part of our ongoing commitment to honest reflection and making whatever changes are necessary to build a future worth fighting for. We know that actions speak louder than words, and we hope to show you our commitment to making Overwatch a better experience in-game and continue to make our team the best it can be."
