Blizzard to Remove "Sexy" Tracer Pose in Overwatch - Update

[Nick Monroe]

Blizzard to Remove "Sexy" Tracer Pose in Overwatch - Update

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Blizzard has responded to controversy surrounding a victory pose from Overwatch's Tracer.

Update: Jeff Kaplan has clarified his earlier statement:

While I stand by my previous comment, I realize I should have been more clear. As the game director, I have final creative say over what does or does not go into the game. With this particular decision, it was an easy one to make-not just for me, but for the art team as well ... We wouldn't do anything to sacrifice our creative vision for Overwatch, and we're not going to remove something solely because someone may take issue with it.

You can read his full statement here [http://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20743015583?page=11#211].

Original Story: A few days ago on the Blizzard forums, Overwatch [http://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20743015583#1]'s female cast of heroes, but was critical about a particular in-game pose by Tracer. It's recommended that you give the entire thing a read for yourself to understand the topic.

"So I wanted to start off by saying, I think the development team has done a pretty great job with the cast of female hero's in Overwatch. They are diverse, interesting, and compelling. From Mei to Zarya to Widowmaker the female cast reflects a large spectrum of personalities and player fantasies," Fipps stated.

Fipps first complimented Blizzard on what they thought the team did right. But later in the post, Fipps says "Then out of seemingly no where we have this pose," linking to this image [http://overwatch.blizzplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/tracer-victory-pose-2-over-the-shoulder.png].

Fipps talks about this aspect of one hero of Overwatch for the rest of the post, arguing that Tracer's pose reduces her to a "female sex symbol" symbolically. "What I'm asking is that as you continue to add to the Overwatch cast and investment elements, you double down on your commitment to create strong female characters. You've been doing a good job so far, but shipping with a tracer pose like this undermines so much of the good you've already done," Fipps said in closing.

Today, the thread received a response [http://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20743015583?page=11#210] from the Game Director for Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan. "We'll replace the pose. We want everyone to feel strong and heroic in our community. The last thing we want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable, under-appreciated or misrepresented. Apologies and we'll continue to try to do better."

This responsive decision by a game developer is one in a series of recent controversies. Last November, a petting mini-game [http://www.destructoid.com/r-mika-butt-slap-close-up-removed-from-street-fighter-v-319706.phtml] was one of many localization changes made for the Western release of Fire Emblem Fates.

Overwatch's customization system is optional, and the cosmetic rewards aren't a mandatory feature. When leveling up your character, you earn loot boxes that have an array of skins, sprays, victory poses, and voice emotes options that you can acquire.

Source: Original Post [http://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20743015583#1]
Response [http://us.battle.net/forums/en/overwatch/topic/20743015583?page=11#210]


Permalink

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Cue the cries of "censorship" and "SJWs ruin everything" (which, naturally, wouldn't occur if we were talking about something like a male character thrusting his ass at the camera) in 3, 2, 1....

 

[Andy Shandy]

Seems fair. The pose is still very much in game for other characters both male and female, it's just being changed because it was pointed out that it doesn't fit Tracer's character.

 

[totheendofsin]

On one hand I really don't care about a single pose being removed from the game

On the other hand having looked at the pose I have to say, really? That pose is hilariously tame

 

[Godzillarich(aka tf2godz)]

I'm just in a run for my life now. I know where this shit goes

 

[Gatlank]

You also have male characters thrusting their ass in to the camera with the same pose.
Oddly i don't hear "think of the children" for these.

 

[Aerosteam]

All I can think of looking at that image:

 

[Kajin]

Wait, I'm confused. Is the pose character specific or is it a general pose available for all the characters to employ?

 

[kaizen2468]

No more guys acting macho either. That's offensive to me.

 

[Hawki]

If Deviantart has taught me anything, it's that you can't stop the sexy...

 

[thewatergamer]

I don't...whatever, I don't really care too much, but frankly I do think its stupid to remove a pose, I mean seriously? If you don't like the pose don't bloody use it, we are now in a situation where one person has resulted in a change that has effected tons of other players that have now had their game changed

 

[Redryhno]

Cue the cries of "censorship" and "SJWs ruin everything" (which, naturally, wouldn't occur if we were talking about something like a male character thrusting his ass at the camera) in 3, 2, 1....

Spoiler: coughcoughcough

I honestly think that probably sums up the argument of people against having it there. Also literally every other thing Blizzard has done having something MUCH more risque than something as innocent as the Tracer thing somehow passing muster for those with that mindset.

 

[Corven]

Wait, I'm confused. Is the pose character specific or is it a general pose available for all the characters to employ?

from the looks of these photos in this spoiler tag it appears to be a generic stance.

Spoiler

 

[Zaeseled]

Isn't the taunt optional? What if I find Hanzo's left nipple out of place? Should that too be removed? What about Roadhog's belly? Replace it with the purple-black missing texture?
The entire thing just seems like a successful trolling.

 

[SlumlordThanatos]

"We want everyone to feel strong and heroic in our community. The last thing we want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable, under-appreciated or misrepresented. Apologies and we'll continue to try to do better."

The correct response here would have been to do nothing, since I sincerely doubt that this pose offended a significant number of people, and they probably would've bought the game anyway.

Now they've gone and made the people who like this sort of thing feel "under-appreciated." All they had to do to avoid disturbing this particular hornet's nest was to do nothing.

It was stupid and completely unnecessary, and now they're gonna get called out on it.

 

[sonicneedslovetoo]

And yet they wont listen to people about removing Macro Mechanics in Starcraft 2.

 

[Loop Stricken]

Wait, I'm confused. Is the pose character specific or is it a general pose available for all the characters to employ?

from the looks of these photos in this spoiler tag it appears to be a generic stance.

They're character specific, but several characters have 'over the shoulder' poses, if that makes sense.

Personally, I don't like the stance. Not because OMG buttocks, but because it's boring.
It's still an utterly ridiculous reason to remove it, though. If the fella's kid is that young that 'sexy butts' are going to damage their baby brain, they shouldn't be playing a game filled with murderous mercenaries shooting each other in the face.

 

[Joccaren]

Yeah, TBH, this feels ridiculous. Hardly a 'sexy' stance, its a generic victory stance for all characters. Hell the pose itself isn't even intending to be sexual, as other posters in that thread pointed out, its a generic 'shoulder check yep got them' sort of pose. The reason its called out for being sexual, is because the character has a toned ass. And honestly, that's a more worrying attitude than that the character would be in that pose, to be quite honest.
Overall, it seems ridiculous. But, W/E. That's the internet for you. Considering its optional, and both that poster and others noted that there were worse poses and characters, it just seems silly to ask for it removed, on top of how ridiculous the statement itself is.

Honestly, its not like I care, I don't even play the game, but... This whole thing seems silly, and honestly sounds like it'll do more harm than good to women in the eyes of society - women with nice bodies can't be fun and cool, they'll always be seen as sexual and have to conform to other's standards of acceptability simply because of how they look. Probably not the message the poster wanted to send, but when Blizzard remove a non-sexy pose from a character for being 'too sexy', when other characters have the same pose and its acceptable either because they aren't as good looking, or because they're overtly 'sexualised' according to that poster... That's the message it sends, and that's stupid.

 

[Dango]

Oh no, shield your virgin eyes from the sight of butt.
The only thing that really ticks me off here is

She argues that Tracer's pose reduces her to a "female sex symbol" symbolically

You see something slightly sexually suggestive and you decry the character as a sex symbol, that's just silly.

That said, I don't play Overwatch and am sure you could come up with a pose that better fits the character, unless that pose is supposed to fit her, in which case more power to ya.