The battle royale shooter H1Z1 wanted to introduce a cool tribal warrior of the Maori as a skin for the new loot box theme. However, it caused so much trouble in advance that the developers removed it from the game.
Which skin is it about? In the new loot box package “Macho”, one of the included skins is a character named “Maui”. That’s the name of a demigod from Polynesian Maori culture, who was featured in the Disney movie Moana.
In H1Z1, he is a powerful muscular man with a mask and Maori tattoos on his body and face. Additionally, there’s a weapon skin with Maori patterns.
The skin was supposed to represent a cool tribal warrior in Maori style, but shortly after the announcement on the H1Z1 website, there was already trouble.
Maori culture is a sensitive topic
What is the problem with the skin? Especially in New Zealand, the home country of the Maori, the skin was poorly received. The skin happily mixes several cultural customs and concepts that do not fit together at all.
A player from H1Z1 in New Zealand eventually made Daybreak aware of the problems with the skin on Reddit:
- The facial tattoos are not just ornaments; for Maori, they are sacred and provide special insight into the wearer and his family. They are applied in a kind of religious ceremony. Each tattoo tells a story, and using them as a simple skin is a sacrilege for many Maori.
- The skin has a facial expression called “Pūkana”, which features widely open eyes and a stuck-out tongue. While it may look dangerous, it is an expression of joy and passion.
- The same applies to the Haka dance emote from the package. The Haka was once a war dance, but is now used for peaceful purposes.
- A particularly significant issue is the weapon skin. The pattern would represent the sun and is another quasi-religious symbol. It has no place on a weapon, especially after the recent terrible terrorist attack in New Zealand involving such weapons.
How did Daybreak respond? The harsh criticism of the skin quickly made developer Daybreak Games rethink. They did not intend to offend Maori culture. Therefore, after careful consideration, the skin was removed from the new loot boxes.
What do the players say? Reactions on Twitter and Reddit to Daybreak’s action among H1Z1 fans were mixed. Some welcomed the move and were glad that Daybreak recognized their mistake and wants to be more careful in the future before processing exotic cultures into skins:
- “It is a big deal for many people that their culture is appreciated and not appropriated.”
- “That’s respect.”
- “Thank you very much!”
Other players, however, lamented what they see as an increasing “outrage culture” online and that soon nothing could be done or said without someone feeling offended.
