Blizzard is Renaming McCree in Wake of Lawsuit

Blizzard will be renaming the hero McCree before the release of Overwatch's next release of content.

The legendary cowboy that players have come to know and love was named after a real person, Jesse McCree. In Blizzard's explanation, they stated that "Going forward, in-game characters will no longer be named after real employees and we will be more thoughtful and discerning about adding real-world references in future Overwatch content."

In their dismissing of the real-life McCree from Blizzard offices following the sexual harassment lawsuit that included him, it seems only fitting that the hero is renamed to something more fitting of the iconic hero loved by millions. The public backlash that followed the lawsuit from fans across the world is a major contributor to changes within Blizzard, and most certainly in their decision to change McCree's name to that of a fictional character, as Overwatch itself presides in a fictional world.

While the initial name change might feel odd for players who have known the iconic cowboy by his name for many years, they can feel rest assured that their world is more immersive by not including aspects such as the names of real-world individuals.