Ha, surprised! The Whiny Wednesday is an hour earlier today because I just couldn’t keep it in my fingers! Okay, the truth is, it’s 6 in the morning and when you read this, I’m still sleeping the demon sleep of the innocent.

Let’s get straight to the point, a real long-standing issue for me: Sexism. Or rather: Where sexism goes a little overboard. Before you read on, take a look at the following posts about Overwatch, as two “offensive contents” were recently removed that players probably shouldn’t be subjected to:

• Overwatch removes Tracer’s victory pose: Too sexy
• No smut magazines in Overwatch

In the two examples mentioned, I can only facepalm. The removed magazines weren’t even real “pornos”, but just some magazines/calendars with images of Tracer and Symmetra – once in close-up, once just the face, but completely dressed and not “in scene”. I would even go so far as to say that these magazines did not serve the portrayal of women, but rather of men, the “bad boys” who lived on Route 66 before we, as players, cleaned up there.

And the fact that bad boys like to treat women as objects does not diminish the strength of female characters in my eyes, but rather makes the villains seem even more primitive.

Regarding Tracer’s removed pose, I find the whole thing even more absurd. The reality in the game is that you see this pose for about 3 seconds, and only if the team with Tracer wins at the end. Even then, you usually don’t see the whole body of Tracer, as in the victory photo, all characters stand closely together (How Schuhmann will whine about this word!) and often overlap.

If that’s too much – then why not this?

Honestly, I wonder why Junkrat still has a “Play of the Game” animation where he painfully fires a ball into his groin. I find that just as offensive and aimed at anatomy, at least as much as Tracer’s butt. But no, no one screams about this, because it’s funny. Ha. Ha. Ha. No, seriously. The gesture is funny and even though many guys might have an uncomfortable memory or could empathize when watching the clip.

If we’re at it, can we please also delete D.Va’s pose, where she willingly writhes on her mech and seductively pops a bubblegum? Please take the legendary skins of Mercy, where she appears as sexy “Devil” or “Imp”, with you as well, because that somehow reminds me of succubi, and I really don’t want to think about that. By the way, I also find crosshairs very disturbing, as they remind me of religion, and I don’t want to come into contact with that while playing. Actually, I want to avoid contact with anything that could evoke any feeling. Because feelings disturb me anyway.

Blergh. So. Enough whining for today.

Please don’t get me wrong. Many representations disturb me too, especially with some female characters in certain games. Especially in Tera or Blade & Soul it is easy to cross some personal boundaries. But I have some really good methods to not get upset about it. Either I create a decently reasonable character, or – if the game is just flooded with that – then I simply don’t play it.

Ultimately, such decisions are of course entirely in the hands of the developers. It is their artistic freedom, and they decide what makes it into the final game. But I really cannot understand what people are getting upset about anymore. A bit of humor and a confident character. Please not! In the end, some might even like it.

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In Overwatch , a “questionable reference” in the form of adult magazines has now been removed. We have the details.

(No) fun must be had

Just yesterday we had news about the removal of “offensive content” from Overwatch because some players felt offended by Tracer’s victory pose “Over the Shoulder” . However, another change occurred in recent days on the map “Route 66”. As it fits a “Wild West” town, there was also a small, outsourced restroom. The door had been broken open, some papers and magazines were scattered on the floor, depicting images of the protagonists of Overwatch.

In at least two issues, images of Mercy and Symmetra were visible, and it probably doesn’t take much imagination to guess what Blizzard was hinting at.

Hey! I only read the magazine for the articles!

Shortly after, exactly these magazines were removed, and the restroom was boarded up. No statement has been made by Blizzard regarding this, but it probably isn’t necessary. It is clear that it does not benefit the portrayal of strong female characters when they appear as softcore porn magazines in the game world.

Cortyn says: Because it also makes women “weak” when they are objectified by guys, especially by villains … But in America, that’s probably just not acceptable for a game rated “12+”.

But whatever, I rant enough about it in my latest Rant Wednesday.

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Tracer from Overwatch is too sexy – at least in a victory pose. Blizzard is cutting it back.

Too much butt, too much sex

In the hero shooter Overwatch, Blizzard makes a concerted effort to create a wide range of characters and heroes that bring various nationalities, lifestyles, and backstories to the table. The goal has been relatively clear from the start: Every player should feel represented in the future version of our world where Overwatch takes place.

One of these characters is Tracer, who has also become something of the poster girl for the game, partly due to her strong presence during the intro cinematics. It is this Tracer who has now come under fire in the forums from some players who feel that the teleporting Brit is too sexualized. Not in her character design, her lines, or voice lines, but in one specific area: a particular victory pose.

Like all characters, various victory poses can be unlocked in Overwatch, which depict the hero in the event of a win. Usually, a character is just portrayed in a cooler way, but with Tracer’s “Over the Shoulder” pose, some fans felt attacked. The representation is too sexy, puts Tracer’s backside too prominently on display, does not fit the character, and reduces her to a mere sex object.

After a lengthy discussion in the official forum, Jeff Kaplan, who has direct decision-making power over the things that make it into the game, also weighed in. And he agreed with the critics:

“We are replacing this pose. We want everyone in our community to feel strong and heroic. We do not want anyone to feel uncomfortable, unappreciated, or negatively represented. We apologize and will try to do better.”

The bottom line: the “Over the Shoulder” pose will be removed from the game and replaced with another.

Meanwhile, the discussion in the forum continues. Many players lament that Blizzard is bowing to the “Social Justice Warriors” and limiting its creativity. User “Bloodhawk” for example states: “If you had really been skeptical about this pose and unsure whether it suited Tracer, you wouldn’t have implemented it in the game at the start.”

What do you think of Blizzard’s decision?

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