How Blizzard got into a pose |Gender censorship Overwatch

Overwatch has been a reputation for one of the most scandalous games for several years Blizzard: developers’ departure, intra -game nerves, various manifestations of discrimination, as well as a hype, which rose after each change in the appearance or history of the characters (of which there were many).

It’s time to talk about how Blizzard Activision In pursuit of modern trends, she made a reaction of violent indignation/approval from the game community and as a network shooter Overwatch became a place for gender censorship and social propaganda.

Warning: this article does not carry the goals of inciting enmity and anger. Only the author’s own experiences regarding the developing trends of the gaming industry will be reflected here.

Taboo topics, age -related restrictions and prohibitions on distribution. There were quite a lot of reasons for such actions for the entire history of the industry, ranging from the high cruelty of some games and ending with various political aspects of the events shown in them.

Well, since the topic of sex and erotica is no less trigger for censorship, in most large projects you will not find very bare parts of bodies or candid bed scenes. However, despite the “accuracy” of many gaming developers in this matter, due to the inexorable desire to attract any accessible audience, the authors still raise the topic of sexual orientation and sexual sexuality in their creations.

One of these examples is the company Activision Blizzard. And since in the context of recent events they are one of the most striking examples of extremely ambiguous politics and attitude to the issues, and their games “Overwatch” And “Overwatch 2»Constantly become a field for moral and spiritual battles, it is time to find out:

And as one comic book page, you can completely turn over the world and orientation of the beloved character by many.

How Blizzard got into a pose

Since on this day, in 1693, the world’s first magazine for women was released in London, we will begin with a scandal around one of the female characters.

Who is the master of the carts, and?

So, during the beta test of the game, the developers quickly reacted to players’ responses, correcting and complementing those things that caused difficulties or problems. But in addition to purely technical and game-mechanical lines, the changes also affected visual elements.

So, the character “Tracer“There is a victorious pose” over the shoulder “, which is displayed by all participants in the game at the end of the match.

But her original version, nonukcasinosites.co.uk/casinos-not-on-gamstop/ according to some, was “too sexy”, which, they say, undermines absolutely the whole character of the heroine and shows, and shows how Blizzard can turn their wonderful girls into tasteless sex symbols. Anyway, what example are the developers set by the younger generation!

And according to some, at the first glance at the tracer in this position, her whole image immediately deteriorated. And some asked: “You saw that at least one male character would take such poses?”. Kh.

But all this would remain another forum dispute if the head of the game Jeff Kaplan had not come to the topic. He recognized the error and announced the decision to remove this pose in order to replace in the future with another, more appropriate. It turns out to be employees Blizzard also did not really like the initial visual decision. They believe that they can come up with something better, and fan reviews have only confirmed doubts. Indeed, for this, in the end, public tests are needed, and Blizzard themselves do everything just for the sake of fans.

But no matter how hard the developers try, on the Internet they will be able to sexualize even a particularly skilled snag – “”Rule 34»Non -place appeared. However, in this whole situation, a certain irony is traced.

New option “Over the shoulder“, Originates from art in style”Pinap“, Which was extremely popular throughout the 20th century in Europe and America. In the framework of this area of ​​creativity, most often the girls acted as the central object of the image, showing an idealized version of how exactly a beautiful or attractive woman should look like.

In a number of assessments of historians and cultural studies, this phenomenon, who found many supporters and opponents among women, including “gave them models for expression and finding pleasure in their sexual subjectivity”.

It is not known whether it was a conscious trolling from the developers, although I think that, but after such a beautiful way out of the situation, those fans that they drowned for a change in the pose can only be said: “for which they fought for that and ran into it”.

Persona non grata

But who really ran around was the developers themselves. After a long scandal in Activision Blizzard in 2021, in which the company’s management was accused of Harassment and an unfair attitude towards women, it has happened, and still happens, a series of visible changes, both in games and in the general information field of the company.

Including, such changes affected one of the characters Overwatch – Hunter’s head Jesse McCry, which was named after one already dismissed employee Blizzard. Specifically, no charges were brought against this employee, there was only indirect information, but Blizzard tries to destroy any references to the scandal in his games, which is why the decision was decided not to connect the names of the characters of the games with any real people and, in general, approach this issue more seriously. From now on, they began to call him “Cole Cassidi“, And the developers even gave all users the opportunity to change them Battletag (profile name) so as not to cause even more seethes against this background.

But it is funny that initially the authors competently built the narrative and ENT Games, they spoke well with the characters and history of the world, and now, because of the ghostly fears of new scandals, replicas about one of the very first characters with their history and character, they simply disappeared. They seemed to be forgotten about him.

Opinions were divided in this regard – some say that Blizzard He behaves like a teenager, who is in a hurry bashfully cleans the story of the browser, others – that it was the right decision and you need to stop any hint of discrimination of women. But both the fact remains and the games, in the eyes of large companies, remain just a product.

Following the agenda

And since it was about changing the characters, then you need to talk about another example of the fit of Laura “Overwatch»Under current trends, or rather, even about two examples. Probably, many of you have heard about the thunder among a clear sky by a change sexual orientation Damldora – beloved by many heroes of books and films about Harry Potter. It would seem that from the very beginning there were no prerequisites and reasons for this.

Well, Blizzard went even further.

In 2019, the authors, as usual, released a small online comic about characters Ana And Soldier 76 (He – Jack Morrison). And as it suddenly became clear during the plot of history, Jack was previously in a relationship with a man named Vincensst. And this was fed as a simple line in the dialogue. Of course, after the questions sprinkled from players about the hero’s sexual orientation, the developers confirmed all the guesses in the official message.

The community reaction was harsh. The foreign audience was divided into opinions, but many simply did not understand what the point is to do exactly Soldier 76 gay. Information about this seemed to be submitted by chance, in order to attribute someone else to the unconventional list. That even the representatives of the LGBT movement found offensive even offensive.

And in Russia, For example, this comic was completely unavailable – Blizzard They did not place it due to fears that law enforcement agencies could perceive this as propaganda of homosexuality.

But why did I say “attribute someone else”? Yes, everything is simple. In the previously mentioned 2016, the previously mentioned character Tracer, In the previously mentioned comics, more precisely, in the first Christmas issue, it was shown kissing with her friend … or a girl … or a roommate … not sure.

And, as one of the users of the site now blocked in the territory of the Russian Federation correctly noted:

“You just think about it: the tracer was an ideal candy, a girl from the cover, whose ass was used to sell copies of the game, and, soldier 76 – a large inspired Call of Duty Macho for those who do not fan from the British. Blizzard used the traditional bait and made this bait of non -traditional. Brilliant.”

And no, in this article I will not impose this or another attitude to you to various sexual preferences of people – this is the case of everyone personally. But, in my opinion, when, in the name of imposing modern trends, they change the already registered story and its characters, this will not cause anything, except, so to speak, irritation, regardless of his attitude to the representatives of non -traditional views themselves.

But if you think I’m wrong, write your position in the commentary. I really will be interested in reading it.

As a result, after all of the above, the question arises. Why Activision Blizzard So fiercely trying to raise some aspects of the sexual life of people, while hiding others who are not so “potentially beneficial”. As if not realizing that flirting with such topics can, like a pendulum, once return and hit them directly in the forehead. After all, the “story” is a rapidly replaced thing, and the reputation, as you know, quickly moves in only one direction.

Therefore, I strongly recommend that you think, first of all, with your head, and not by another place.