Blizzard has announced it through the official Overwatch’s Twitter account who plans to change the name of the popular character McCree.
In a statement (below), the creators of the popular multiplayer FPS outlined plans to change the name of the character who originally bore the name of former Blizzard designer Jesse McCree, one of the former employees related to the recent lawsuit of harassment and discrimination filed by Activision Blizzard by the State of California.
While not explicitly referring to the lawsuit and the ongoing controversy, the statement, posted as an image on Twitter and an identical press release, says Overwatch was built “around the idea that inclusion, equity and hope are the basic components of a better future “and states that” in the future, the characters in the game will no longer have the names of real employees. “
The name change of the character will be part of a historical arc initially planned for September, but which is now delayed until the end of the year in order to integrate the name change.
Here is the full text of the statement:
The Overwatch team has released a statement about plans to change the name of the character known as McCree. Check out his post below.
We built the Overwatch universe around the idea that inclusion, equity, and hope are the building blocks of a better future. They are key in the game and the Overwatch team.
As we continue to discuss how we live our values best and demonstrate our commitment to creating a game world that reflects them, we believe we need to change the name of the hero currently known as McCree to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for. per.
We realize that any change to such a beloved and central hero in game fiction will take time to implement properly and we will share updates as this work progresses. In the short term, we had planned to start a narrative arc in September, backed by a new story and game content, of which McCree was a key part. As we want to integrate this change into this arc of history, we will delay the new arc until the end of this year and launch a new FFA map this September.
In the future, the characters in the game will no longer have the names of real employees and we will be more thoughtful and discerning about adding real-world references to future Overwatch content. This will help reinforce that we are building a fictional universe that is unmistakably different from the real world and that better illustrates that creating Overwatch is really a team effort.
We are working on these updates and they are just one part of our ongoing commitment to honest reflection and the changes needed to build a future worth fighting for. We know that actions speak louder than words, and we look forward to demonstrating our commitment to making Overwatch a better gaming experience and continuing to make our team the best it can be.
This change also comes after the departure of Blizzard President J. Allen Brack, with Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra replacing him as co-leaders in early August.
McCree’s new name is not mentioned.