Activision Blizzard and the Overwatch developers announce that they're changing the name of the Overwatch hero formerly known as McCree. The gunslinger was named after Blizzard senior employee Jesse McCree.

In a statement on Overwatch's official Twitter, the developers announced that they will change McCree's name to “something that better represents what Overwatch stands for.”  The developers also announced that in-game characters will no longer be named after real employees after everything that happened.

“We built the Overwatch universe around the idea that inclusivity, equity, and hope are the building blocks of a better future,” Blizzard said in a statement. “They are central to the game and to the Overwatch team.

“As we continue to discuss how we best live up to our values and to demonstrate our commitment to creating a game world that reflects them, we believe it’s necessary to change the name of the hero currently known as McCree to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for.”

McCree's name was taken directly from Activision Blizzard developer Jesse McCree. Unfortunately, McCree was one of three senior Blizzard employees no longer working at the company following California's lawsuit against Blizzard for widespread gender discrimination amongst other things. Activision Blizzard still hasn't confirmed whether McCree left the company or was fired.

Jesse McCree was a well-known senior developer and was the lead designer for Diablo 4. However, the ongoing investigations since the Activision Blizzard lawsuit, revealed that McCree was part of the “Cosby Crew” a group of developers who would host alcohol-fueled parties in the so-called “Cosby Suite.”

This isn't the first time a Blizzard character had to be renamed. A World of Warcraft NPC named after Blizzard developer Alex Afrasiabi also received a name change after it was revealed that Afrasiabi was also part of the Cosby Suite crew, and was specifically named in California's lawsuit for sexual harassment. Blizzard fired Afrasiabi in 2020.

If you want to see the full timeline for the Activision Blizzard lawsuit, you can check the article right here.