Overwatch devs explain delay in McCree’s name change

Sam Comrie
McCree on Hanamura

Blizzard Entertainment confirmed they would be changing the name of hero Jesse McCree, pending the dismissal of an employee sharing the same namesake. Now, the developer has provided an update on the name-changing process. 

Overwatch players are hungry for new content but plan to expand the longevity of the game are on hold. With story beats and additional DLC planned to expand on the cowboy-inspired character, fans were initially skeptical towards Blizzard’s approach.

However, the importance of delaying further additions comes as a result of McCree being subject to a name change, as it was inspired by a now-former employee fired amid the ongoing Blizzard controversy.

Blizzard devs have now addressed the progress of changing McCree’s name head-on.

mccree overwatch 2
McCree will have a new name by Overwatch 2.

McCree name change is a “complicated project”

Overwatch launched back in 2016, with Jesse McCree among its base-game character roster. Due to the character’s long-standing presence within the game, this has become an “undertaking” for the Blizzard development team to action. Speaking on the progress of retrofitting McCree’s future in the franchise, one of Blizzard’s community management team offered an update on the “meaningful” yet “complicated project.”

As the project will require multiple assets across every facet of the game to be changed, the devs said “change like this takes *some* time to achieve. I do not currently have an ETA I can share with you, however, I can assure you that work is underway on this task.”

“I can understand why you may worry that this decision was made in a rush (especially given the whirlwind of surrounding news)” the developer added on the spontaneity of the change. While a specific date for the change hasn’t been detailed, we will be tracking this news as it develops.

Make sure to stay updated with all our Overwatch coverage here.

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About The Author

Sam Comrie is a former Dexerto journalist based in South Yorkshire, UK. He has an MA in Multimedia Journalism and joined Dexerto in 2021 after producing content for NME and Red Bull Gaming.