World of Warcraft Changes Another Controversial Name in Latest Update

Activision Blizzard has changed another name in World of Warcraft as part of the company’s continuing attempts to offer a more inclusive environment. The latest example is the character Gorge the Corpsegrinder, who will now go by the name Annihilator Grek’lor. As with characters named after Jesse McCree, Gorge’s name has been altered based on the actions of his namesake. In this case, the character was named after George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, frontman of the metal band Cannibal Corpse. In 2007, Fisher declared his love for World of Warcraft while using multiple homophobic slurs, in a clip that was also aired at BlizzCon 2011 prior to a set by Fisher. 

The BlizzCon version of that interview was censored, but the airing of the clip led to backlash against Blizzard from fans. At the time, Blizzard’s then-current president Mike Morhaime apologized for the clip in a letter to GayGamer, but the character’s name has remained a part of World of Warcraft for years. The change comes shortly after the revelation that the character “Finkle Einhorn” has also been renamed in the game. Einhorn was a reference to the villain in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, who is outed as transgender at the end of the movie. That character’s depiction in the film has been a source of controversy for years, so it comes as little surprise the name was changed. Interestingly enough, Fisher and the rest of Cannibal Corpse actually appeared in Pet Detective, playing themselves.

Besides the changes to names of characters in World of Warcraft, Activision Blizzard has been making numerous other changes to the game. Notably, the company has altered the names of items, quests, and more. These changes are part of a broader goal by the company following allegations of racism, sexism, and a “frat boy culture.” It remains to be seen if these changes will achieve their goal of a more welcoming environment, but hopefully that will be the case.

What do you think of the changes Activison Blizzard is making to World of Warcraft? Is there something you’d like to see updated in the game? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

[H/T: Kotaku]