Overwatch fans want McCree name change as casters avoid character’s name

It's high noon...

Overwatch fans have started petitioning for Activision Blizzard to change McCree’s name in the wake of harrassment allegations surrounding his namesake, developer Jesse McCree.

Calls for a name change began once it was discovered that the real-life McCree was one of the Blizzard developers pictured in what was dubbed the “Cosby Suite” at BlizzCon 2013. McCree’s text chats also featured in a report about the hotel room and activities carried on in and around it.

Petition for @PlayOverwatch to rename Jesse McCree to Matt Mercer in light of the real life Jesse McCree being a greasy “Cosby Suite” dwelling scumbag. #ActiBlizzWalkout #blizzardlawsuit #Blizzard

— Woover (@DailyWoover) July 28, 2021

@PlayOverwatch kill off Jesse mcCree or give us his real name for Overwatch 2, I’m never speaking that PoS name again. Disgusted.

— eatsmoke (@eatsmokes) July 28, 2021

Calls to oust the in-game McCree on social media have been joined by at least two petitions on Change.org (here and here) and are likely to receive more interest following the report that Jesse McCree has left Blizzard.

At the same time, Overwatch League casters Brennon ‘Bren’ Hook and Josh ‘Sideshow’ Wilkinson appear to have purposefully omitted the character’s name from a recent livestream, going out of their way not to refer to the character by name. Instead, the duo referred to him as “the cowboy” or simply “Peacekeeper,” the name of the hero’s weapon.

It sounds like @SideshowGaming and @BrenCasts are avoiding the cowboy hero's name, and I really appreciate that.

— Orion Woody (@OrionWoody) August 8, 2021

Huh this is a good idea tbh

— Mitch Leslie (@UberShouts) August 10, 2021

We’ll keep you informed as this new situation progresses. For more on the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard that started this whole controversy, head here.