In Hinduism, some skins of the hero Symmetra from Overwatch are viewed with suspicion. Will this lead to the removal of the skins?
Symmetra as “Devi” – Insulting a True Goddess?
It is again time for a somewhat curious Overwatch news. Rajan Zed, the “President of Universal Society of Hinduism” has released a statement demanding Blizzard to remove two skins from Overwatch. And how could it be otherwise: It concerns Symmetra, specifically her “Devi” and “Goddess” skins.
Devi is one of the major goddesses of Hinduism, who has been revered in various forms and names for a very long time. Although the skin for Symmetra does not exactly match a specific form of Devi, it contains individual aspects, such as Kali’s skull decoration or the blue skin color, which is reserved for “eternal beings”.
Zed goes even further and tries to strike back at Blizzard with their own weapons, as the statement continues:
“Zed has made it clear that Blizzard should act according to their own values, which also include responsibility (“As one of the leading companies in the gaming sector, we feel committed to making ethical decisions”). In this case, it would not have been the case, as it would have created confusion in the community regarding the flawed representation of Devi.”
A response from Blizzard is still pending.
Mein-MMO says: This is, of course, difficult to assess if one is not completely immersed in the subject of Hinduism. However, the analogy that players are now driving the fate of the gods and not the other way around seems a bit far-fetched. But does it truly surprise anyone? After all, similar accusations were raised before regarding Kali from SMITE , which led to a new design for the goddess – she still exists in the game, however. Let’s wait and see how Blizzard responds. Maybe not at all.
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