Since California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed its lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, the controversy around the company's reported workplace conditions has only continued to grow. Overwatch's development team, in particular, is facing mounting pressure to rename Jesse McCree after his namesake was implicated in the lawsuit. Additional pressure is now coming from the Overwatch League itself, as several casters are actively avoiding using the hero's name while live.
The controversy around McCree's namesake came to light after several, inappropriate messages were made public. The real Jesse McCree served as a lead developer on World of Warcraft before moving over to join the Diablo 4 development team. McCree was one of several Blizzard employees joking about a hotel room called the "Cosby Suite" at 2013's BlizzCon belonging to former Blizzard senior creative director Alex Afrasiabi. The room's nickname, inspired by the sexual assault accusations against Bill Cosby, was due to Afrasiabi's own reported harassment which was said to be so bad he needed to be physically pulled away from some female employees.
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Twitter user Orion Woody was one of the first online to point out casters avoiding the use of McCree's name. They said casters Brennon Hook and Josh Wilkinson seemed to be going out of their way to avoid using the name while covering league matches in early August.
The tweet drew positive feedback from many within the Overwatch community, applauding Hook and Wilkinson for their actions. Other casters, such as Mitch Leslie, said they may follow the two's lead and avoid using McCree's name going forward.
It's the latest example of Blizzard's community coming out against the company over the reported toxic workplace that has engulfed the developer for years. Aside from demands to rename McCree, prominent names like Asmongold are calling on Blizzard's community to stop playing the studio's games in protest until proper action is taken.
Calls to protest Blizzard have been prominent within the studio as well, with Hook and Wilkinson's actions being just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest action taken by employees was on July 28, when a large number of Activision Blizzard employees staged a walkout and strike over the toxic work culture. Employees made several demands, including better protection for victims and new hiring policies.
As the lawsuit is ongoing, it remains to be seen how deeply this will impact Blizzard going forward. There has already been an immediate effect as several top executives, including Frances Townsend and J. Allen Brack, resigning from the company as more information comes out.
It's fair to argue there are concerns among remaining executives over how game development will be impacted by the lawsuit, as well. Several major titles, including Overwatch 2, have already seen development slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. The lawsuit and any large-scale changes to Activision Blizzard's corporate structure and policies could further delays.
Overwatch is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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