'Overwatch' Players Call Blizzard Out for Insensitive Australian Map

Blizzard has come under fire from some Overwatch players due to a recent video that some say is [...]

By Tanner Dedmon

Overwatch Junkertown
(Photo: Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard has come under fire from some Overwatch players due to a recent video that some say is insensitive to Australia's history.

The content in question was released several days ago as part of Blizzard's Gamescom announcements. Two videos were released back-to-back, one of them a humorous cinematic between Junkrat and Roadhog that introduced a new map in a lighthearted way and the other a more intense look at the Junkertown map.

The first video was received pretty well, but the second one that walks players through the Junkertown map is under scrutiny for the narration's word choice. Narrated by the Queen of Junkertown, players have pointed out that the video's phrasing reflects a lack of sensitivity to Australia's indigenous people.

Below is the quote from the full video, seen above, that has players questioning Blizzard's word choices.

"They thought they could take our land and give it to the machines. They were wrong! We won the war, and now we reap the spoils. We build a new world from the ashes."

The video also uses the phrase "your past lives are a dream" at one point, phrases that haven't played well with some.

With the complaints about the video being brought to light, some have even started to express that maybe the first video featuring Junkrat and Roadhog isn't so acceptable either. Featuring two characters being kicked out of their Australian home, both of which happen to be criminals in-game,

There hasn't been an official response from Blizzard yet related to the Junkertown issue, but Overwatch's game director Jeff Kaplan did address another issue regarding incorrect wordage of a sign located in the Junkertown map that says "Take-out" as opposed to the Australian variation of "Take-away." Kaplan responded with a tongue-in-cheek apology for that issue and said they'd fix it.

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