In the case of the notorious frog Pepe, Overwatch shows no mercy. Images of him may not be used by players.
Blizzard does not want Overwatch professionals to use certain images – not even on social media. This was recently experienced by Jay “Sinatraa” Won from the San Francisco Shock team, who sent out a tweet to celebrate his 18th birthday. He used an image of the controversial frog “Pepe” – this was a thorn in the side of the Overwatch League. The tweet was deleted at Blizzard’s request.
Frog “Pepe” – A Symbol of Right-Wing Hate?
The green frog Pepe, who has appeared in numerous memes over the past few years, originally had nothing to do with racism or the “Alt Right” movement. He was part of the comic “Boy’s Club” and was later incorporated into (fundamentally positive) memes, such as the “Feels Good Man” meme, which was very present for a long time.
It was only in recent years that Pepe became increasingly associated with racist remarks and the “Alt Right” movement.
What was initially thought to be a joke by members of 4chan and others, by attributing racist statements to Pepe with dark humor, was later picked up by the American media and has since been firmly associated with right-wing extremist ideas.
It is therefore understandable that Blizzard does not want to have anything to do with such statements and views. After all, Overwatch stands for the diversity of different cultures and ways of life.
In the past, images of Pepe have been kept out of the Overwatch League. Two fans who were present at the opening of the Overwatch League, for example, had to surrender a poster featuring the frog so that it would not be held up in front of the camera.
Do you think it is good that such memes or offensive remarks are banned from the social media of Overwatch players? Do these players have a role model function? Or should they be allowed to do whatever they want on their Twitter accounts?
