Set off warning: sexual assault and harassment.
An inappropriate Overwatch 2 sport mode reappeared, but it surely’s not one to get enthusiastic about. The mode, titled “sexual harassment simulator,” was performed sufficient occasions that it appeared as one of the crucial fashionable over the weekend for some gamers, in response to PC Gamer, which noticed the reappearance simply earlier than Blizzard rapidly pulled it down.
One other “sexual harassment simulator” was found in October 2022, however each tasked gamers with flattening Overwatch 2‘s feminine heroes (like Mercy and Widowmaker) whereas enjoying because the cowboy Cole Cassidy and repeatedly crouching over their our bodies, apparently, as PC Gamer reported, with the phrase “raping…” till the character in query is labeled “pregnant” as an AI-controlled Torbjorn supposedly fills the function of the infant. That is disgusting on so many ranges it’s not even humorous, particularly as a result of gamers are compelled to play as Cassidy, beforehand often known as McCree, the identical identify because the ousted Activision Blizzard developer who took half in the controversial “Cosby Suite” meetups.
A screenshot of the customized mode was posted to Overwatch’s official subreddit by consumer Joyolo13, who merely requested: “What in god’s identify?”
“Lol I keep in mind seeing this day-after-day in [Overwatch 1],” mentioned Redditor sw1nky. “Can’t say I’m stunned it’s nonetheless round, [to be honest].”
“McCree is again within the sport I suppose,” mentioned consumer FoulfrogBsc.
Kotaku was unable to search out the customized sport mode in Overwatch 2 because it seems Blizzard took the “sexual harassment simulator” offline—for now. So, it appears the corporate is conscious that such a mode exists however may be having a tough time stopping it from reappearing within the sport.
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“Inappropriate or express content material has completely no place in our sport,” a Blizzard spokesperson instructed PC Gamer when the outlet requested concerning the first model of the mode final 12 months. “We instantly eliminated the user-created sport mode as soon as made conscious of its existence. We’re frequently working to enhance computerized filters to stop inappropriate user-created content material, and manually eradicating any that aren’t caught by the system.”
Kotaku reached out to Activision Blizzard for remark.
Whereas that is at the least the second time the “sexual harassment simulator” has popped up in Overwatch 2 particularly, gamers famous {that a} comparable mode existed in some type within the authentic Overwatch sport. On the time, gamers posted PSAs to warn the group concerning the offensive content material. After all, not all player-created sport modes are this egregious. However it’s regarding that this difficulty has come up greater than as soon as inside a number of months.