Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Changes Racially Insensitive Skin

Developer Beenox has updated Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled to tweak and rename some racially insensitive skins from the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One game. More specifically, the team made some stealth changes to a Tawna skin in the game that some over on Reset Era pointed out last week was a bit problematic for how racially insensitive it is. For those that missed all of the commotion, Beenox and the remake came under fire for its “Watermelon Tawna” skin, which was deemed offensive for having dark fur and a watermelon shirt. That said, Beenox has since changed the skin to “Summertime Tawna.”

As you may know, the skin wasn’t in the game at launch, but came when the title’s first Grand Prix season began, which brought with it Tawna and the Nitro Squad to the game for free on July 3. But then with the game’s latest update on July 12, the skin was changed, or the name of it at least.

In addition to the controversial Tawna skin, Beenox also changed the name of a few other skins. For example, “White Tawna” is now “White Tiger Tawna.” Basically, any name that had Black or White and then the character’s name have been tweaked.

At the moment of publishing, Beenox hasn’t addressed the controversy with a statement, but it has corrected the oversight.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is available for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. There’s been no word of a PC or Google Stadia port. For more news and media on the remake, be sure to peep all of our previous coverage of the title by clicking right here. Meanwhile, if you haven’t already, also be sure to check out our official review of the game to find out what we think of Beenox’s effort to revive the 90s kart racer classic.

“Back in 1999, I played Crash Team Racing for hours on end with my older brother,” reads the opening of the review. “20 years later, I’m enjoying it just as much. Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled is just like the game I fondly remember, except a whole lot better to look at it and there’s some new content sprinkled in that ensures it’s not simply a zany, nostalgia-fueled trip of deja vu.”

Thanks, Game Revolution.