Overwatch is changing McCree's name

Overwatch's gun-slinging cowboy was named after a former developer at the studio.

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Overwatch has built quite a memorable cast of characters over the years, with several faces that even those who aren’t very familiar with the game can recognize instantly. Jesse McCree is one of these characters, and will soon be seeing a major change. The developers at Blizzard have announced that they are planning to change McCree’s name in the near future.

Blizzard shared an open letter to the Overwatch Twitter account to announce the change. “We built the Overwatch universe around the idea that inclusivity, equity, and hope are the building blocks of a better future. They are central to the game and to the Overwatch team,” the post reads. Jesse McCree is one of the original members of the Overwatch roster and was named after a former developer at Blizzard. Earlier this month, the real-world Jesse McCree was let go from Blizzard amidst the ongoing sexual harassment and misconduct scandal happening at Activision Blizzard.

Blizzard is looking to distance the fictional Jesse McCree from his real-life namesake. The developers also share that a new narrative arc, in which McCree played a key role, was set to roll out in September. With the name change imminent, the developers have decided to delay the launch of that story arc. It’s likely that Blizzard will look for a way to weave McCree’s new name into the lore of Overwatch, rather than just dropping it in a new patch.

Following the termination of Jesse McCree from Blizzard, many speculated that the developer wouldn’t want to keep him immortalized in Overwatch anymore. There’s no indication as to what the character’s new name will be, but an official announcement likely isn’t far off. We will continue to keep you updated on the ongoing situation at Activision Blizzard.

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_

From The Chatty
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    August 26, 2021 12:25 PM

    Donovan Erskine posted a new article, Overwatch is changing McCree's name

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      August 26, 2021 12:35 PM

      Mission Accomplished! now buy more loot boxes plz.

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      August 26, 2021 12:36 PM

      This is... rather surprising. I don't know much about the actions of individual employees, just the culture of the company as a whole, but this seems like a big deal for the OW community considering how they cling to every little bit of lore that gets dropped.

      I'm curious if Matt Mercer will continue voicing the character.

      • Zek legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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        August 26, 2021 6:08 PM

        I'm sure, there's nothing controversial about him to my knowledge.

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          August 26, 2021 6:48 PM

          Oh absolutely, but he may want to distance himself at this point.

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            August 27, 2021 12:20 AM

            He is unrelatedly otherwise not having a good week at all.

            "That’s now two family members I’ve lost in a week to COVID, one not that much older than I. They were full-entrenched in Conservative media Anti-Vaxx beliefs and refused to get vaccinated.

            If you can, PLEASE. GET. VACCINATED."

            https://twitter.com/matthewmercer/status/1430260467050586115

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      August 26, 2021 12:45 PM

      Introducing the new gunslinging desperado... Bobby "Sharp Eye" Kotick!

      • reply
        August 26, 2021 12:47 PM

        With his new taunt voice line "Hey y'all, let's go down to the Cosby suite".

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      August 26, 2021 1:09 PM

      They had to at this point.

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      August 26, 2021 5:35 PM

      Don't be sexual predators, kids. Better to let that manifest as ulcers.

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      August 26, 2021 8:28 PM

      good choice.

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      August 27, 2021 6:18 AM

      [deleted]

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