[POLITICS] Overwatch's newest hero causes controversy

[IceForce]

A few linky's:

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2019/07/24/overwatchs-new-hero-is-fun-but-the-reason-hes-barefoot-is-bollocks/
https://primagames.com/feature/what-are-sigmas-feet-bare-in-overwatch-backlash
https://screenrant.com/overwatch-diversity-sigma-bare-feet-problem/

Basically, a shitstorm has erupted on social media and on certain gaming sites regarding Overwatch's newest hero, Sigma. Specifically regarding his lack of footwear and the reasoning given.

Sigma is a new tank hero who floats just above the ground. He doesn't use his feet to get around and is completely barefoot.
He's also completely mad, and very much fills the 'mad scientist' trope, complete with insane cackling and laughing when he uses his ultimate ability. His origin story reveals that he went mad after a freak accident with a black hole.

In a recent public comment, the designers revealed that the bare feet were a deliberate design choice, to give him an "asylum look". Problem is, many people have found this to be offensive, with the way the hero's design conflates mental illness with stereotypical villainy.

A legitimate criticism?, or just people being overly sensitive?
Your thoughts?

 

[Fappy]

OW is like a controversy magnet. They get it from both ends too.

I'd feel bad for Blizzard, but then I remember how much they have been sucking it up lately.

 

[Marik2]

Almost everything is controversial on the internet. I remember when Ashe was revealed and people were mad that she was a white cowgirl.

 

[CaitSeith]

"asylum look".

Offensive or just really dumb?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

He's a literal mad scientist. Everything he does is insane, and the bad guy stuff is just side fluff.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

People's own naked feet is controversial now?

 

[CaitSeith]

He's a literal mad scientist. Everything he does is insane, and the bad guy stuff is just side fluff.

Spoiler: It still is kinda dumb...

Sigma:

"There is no obligation for the universe to make sense to you."

"Why is your body armor barefoot?"

"To have an asylum look"

"And why do you want that?"

"There is no obligation for the universe to make sense to you!"

 

[CritialGaming]

Nobody gives a fuck about Overwatch until a new character is revealed and they can tell everyone how racist and offensive that new character is.

 

[meiam]

Just game journalist inventing an issue to raise traffic to sell add, don't give them the traffic.

 

[BrawlMan]

Who gives fuck? Seriously, are gaming journalists, individual YouTubers, and certain idiots in the OW fandom that desperate for attention they have to dip back in that well again? This is nothing, but boring, typical, click bait, nonsense. People will be up in arms, only to forget about it two weeks to a month later. Notify me when something actually important happens. The only good thing out of this is more OW fan dubs of fan comics.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

He's not a villain because he's crazy. He was crazy and then got kidnapped and brainwashed by the villain organization.

Being crazy did not make him a villain, and the author of the article is just conflating 2 different parts of the character.

 

[Hawki]

Only controversy with Sigma for me is that he's a Talon tank when Mauga should have come first (yes, I know, reasons).

Other than that, I don't really care. Talon's got a number of characters with conflicting goals and motivations, but Sigma's just "I'm crazy!" Offensive? To me, not really. Boring? Yes.

Edit: Also, if you want to talk about controversial Blizzard characters, Qhira is the next one to have set off the outrage cycle among the fanbase. Dare I say that it kicked up a, ahem, storm?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YMPAH67f4o

 

[meiam]

Edit: Also, if you want to talk about controversial Blizzard characters, Qhira is the next one to have set off the outrage cycle among the fanbase. Dare I say that it kicked up a, ahem, storm?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YMPAH67f4o

Qhira is just pointless, one HoTS selling point is that it's the smash bros of blizzard game, yet they decide to make original character because...? It's not like her kit couldn't have been done with a character from a blizzard universe. It's just a really strange decision and highlight just how low of a priority HoTS is a the moment for blizzard since they apparently have no one who understand the appeal of there game in command.

Another HoTS selling point is that it has some strange hero that you wouldn't see in traditional moba, yet her kit is incredibly vanilla and you could drop her in DoTA or LoL and she'd fit just fine. She feel like the last hero that will ever be release for the game since they apparently completely stopped caring.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

He's a literal mad scientist. Everything he does is insane, and the bad guy stuff is just side fluff.

Spoiler: It still is kinda dumb...

Sigma:

"There is no obligation for the universe to make sense to you."

"Why is your body armor barefoot?"

"To have an asylum look"

"And why do you want that?"

"There is no obligation for the universe to make sense to you!"

Ain't saying its not dumb, but OverWatch is filled to the brim with dumb characters. The barefoot dude is hardly the tip of the iceberg

 

[Worgen]

His design is weird. Him being barefoot but otherwise covered in armor definitely clashes. But, I really don't get what the controversy is. Like, is this an actual controversy or is this someone claiming its a controversy for clicks? Cause that tends to happen, see the "skeptic" youtubers claiming that sjws were crying about a line in the doom eternal trailer but it was actually at most just mentioned as a weird line.

 

[Hawki]

Qhira is just pointless, one HoTS selling point is that it's the smash bros of blizzard game, yet they decide to make original character because...? It's not like her kit couldn't have been done with a character from a blizzard universe. It's just a really strange decision and highlight just how low of a priority HoTS is a the moment for blizzard since they apparently have no one who understand the appeal of there game in command.

Another HoTS selling point is that it has some strange hero that you wouldn't see in traditional moba, yet her kit is incredibly vanilla and you could drop her in DoTA or LoL and she'd fit just fine. She feel like the last hero that will ever be release for the game since they apparently completely stopped caring.

The Smash Brothers analogy is arguably apt, but for the wrong reasons. Smash Brothers started out as a Nintendo-only thing, but it's now more of a "throw in random characters from random IPs" rather than using Nintendo's own properties. I mean, I get why they're doing it (money), but there's little artistic justification for it. At the very least, Nexusborn heroes are still created by Blizzard.

Still, that's a low bar. Orphea was the first, but at least Orphea was connected to the Raven Lord, and Raven Court, and had comics built up for her. Qhira comes from a realm we've never seen, and probably never will see, and has been thrown in because across all their IPs, Blizzard just couldn't find anyone with a chainblade? Seriously?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXkF2viFDgU

His design is weird. Him being barefoot but otherwise covered in armor definitely clashes. But, I really don't get what the controversy is. Like, is this an actual controversy or is this someone claiming its a controversy for clicks?

Controversial in that a number of sites have brought it up. So, there's not yet a controversy over the controversy, but the controversy still exists, but isn't too controversial right now.

Honestly, considering that Overwatch has triggered "SJWs" (the hub-bub over Pharah's Thunderbird skin) and "SQWs" (Tracer/Soldier: 76 being gay, thus pushing the "gay agenda", not to mention "Tracergate"), I figure Sigma's pretty tame. Maybe the outrage cycle is wearing out.

...phesh, yeah right. Honestly, I've already seen the whole "forced diversity" bullshit with Qhira already, but luckilly nothing too much.

 

[Trunkage]

His design is weird. Him being barefoot but otherwise covered in armor definitely clashes. But, I really don't get what the controversy is. Like, is this an actual controversy or is this someone claiming its a controversy for clicks?

Controversial in that a number of sites have brought it up. So, there's not yet a controversy over the controversy, but the controversy still exists, but isn't too controversial right now.

Honestly, considering that Overwatch has triggered "SJWs" (the hub-bub over Pharah's Thunderbird skin) and "SQWs" (Tracer/Soldier: 76 being gay, thus pushing the "gay agenda", not to mention "Tracergate"), I figure Sigma's pretty tame. Maybe the outrage cycle is wearing out.

...phesh, yeah right. Honestly, I've already seen the whole "forced diversity" bullshit with Qhira already, but luckilly nothing too much.

Maybe we could just stop acting like the media is out to get us? It's okay that people bring stuff up. They aren't trying to hurt you physically or mentally. We don't HAVE to get offended about everything

I thought the controversy was going to be about how terrible his feet looked. I was also expecting a lotus pose but then the hit box would be drastically smaller

 

[Worgen]

His design is weird. Him being barefoot but otherwise covered in armor definitely clashes. But, I really don't get what the controversy is. Like, is this an actual controversy or is this someone claiming its a controversy for clicks?

Controversial in that a number of sites have brought it up. So, there's not yet a controversy over the controversy, but the controversy still exists, but isn't too controversial right now.

Honestly, considering that Overwatch has triggered "SJWs" (the hub-bub over Pharah's Thunderbird skin) and "SQWs" (Tracer/Soldier: 76 being gay, thus pushing the "gay agenda", not to mention "Tracergate"), I figure Sigma's pretty tame. Maybe the outrage cycle is wearing out.

...phesh, yeah right. Honestly, I've already seen the whole "forced diversity" bullshit with Qhira already, but luckilly nothing too much.

I just checked Kotaku and its really just people making fun of his design. Cause its a weird design. Their explanation is only a little better then the whole thing with Silence... whatever her name was from Metal Gear Solid 5. The whole breathing through her skin thing.

 

[BrawlMan]

His design is weird. Him being barefoot but otherwise covered in armor definitely clashes. But, I really don't get what the controversy is. Like, is this an actual controversy or is this someone claiming its a controversy for clicks?

Controversial in that a number of sites have brought it up. So, there's not yet a controversy over the controversy, but the controversy still exists, but isn't too controversial right now.

Honestly, considering that Overwatch has triggered "SJWs" (the hub-bub over Pharah's Thunderbird skin) and "SQWs" (Tracer/Soldier: 76 being gay, thus pushing the "gay agenda", not to mention "Tracergate"), I figure Sigma's pretty tame. Maybe the outrage cycle is wearing out.

...phesh, yeah right. Honestly, I've already seen the whole "forced diversity" bullshit with Qhira already, but luckilly nothing too much.

I just checked Kotaku and its really just people making fun of his design. Cause its a weird design. Their explanation is only a little better then the whole thing with Silence... whatever her name was from Metal Gear Solid 5. The whole breathing through her skin thing.

Her name is Quiet...and the breathing through her skin detail is still stupid.

 

[Red Sentinel]

Seriously? Getting offended over bare feet?

Tracer's #ButtGate was more interesting than this. Speaking of, I guess this is now #FootGate ?