Activision Blizzard has been a hotbed of controversy lately, after a lawsuit was filed. The lawsuit alleged that the company subjected multiple women to harassment and discrimination.
Following the suit, Blizzard made a commitment to work towards fostering a healthier and more inclusive environment by removing inappropriate content and references from World of Warcraft.
These changes are not limited to just a single game, with the Overwatch character, Jesse McCree, having his name changed due to his real-life namesake being embroiled in said controversy.
Changes to the names of two achievements have surfaced in an early build of the upcoming 9.1.5 patch. Many of the achievements’ names in the game are based on wordplay, puns, and pop culture references, and some of these names are in bad taste.
The two achievements, originally named “My Sack if Gigantique” and “Bros. Before Ho Ho Ho”, are renamed “My Storage is Gigantique” and “Holiday Bromance”.
These are minute changes, and Blizzard will have a lot to work on before they can fully and satisfactorily address what seems to be a deeply entrenched problem. There are still months before the 9.1.5 patch is going to be fully implemented, so the full extent of the changes still remains to be seen. But, as far as first steps go, it’s a decent start.
Brandon shapeshifts between being a nerd and a geek like Mystique, but with fewer options. He reads an unhealthy amount of comics and manga, while playing a healthy amount of board games and video games.
Edwin Teo
Yonk
Si Jia
