We have to change game character’s names now.
Jesse McCree, a character in Blizzard’s Overwatch game, will be renamed in the wake of fallout over sexual harassment allegations against the company.
The in-game McCree, a revolver-toting cowboy character, was named after a real-life Blizzard staff member.
In August, he and two other executives left the company without explanation.
In a statement, the Overwatch team said it was “necessary to change the name… to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for”.
“Going forward, in-game characters will no longer be named after real employees,” it promised.
But the Overwatch developers did not reveal what the character’s new name would be.
Overwatch is one of the best-known examples of the hero shooter genre, with a cast of characters each with a unique identity and set of abilities.
McCree remains a fan favourite as one of the game’s launch characters, and is deeply tied to its back story.
On top of being a playable character, he appears in connected comic books, a high-budget six-minute short animated film, and as merchandise, including an action figure.
