“As we introduce a new name, you might have the desire to do the same.”
Activision Blizzard is letting every Battle.net user change their name for free.
The change comes in the wake of Activision Blizzard’s committment to changing its “frat boy” culture following California’s ongoing lawsuit. Following accusations of sexual harassment against the developer the character is named after, Overwatch’s fan-favourite cowboy character Jesse McCree has been given a new name and will be known as Cole Cassidy when an update rolls out on Tuesday, 26th October. Consequently, Activision Blizzard is extending the opportunity of a name-change to its players, too.
“As we introduce a new name, you might have the desire to do the same,” the company said in a blog post. “Starting 22 October, 2021 and continuing through 5 November, 2021, all players will be offered a free BattleTag name change. This applies to anyone who does not currently have a free name change available. Existing name changes will not stack for future use.”
As we introduce a new name, you might have the desire to do the same. We are providing a free BattleTag name change to all players.
? https://t.co/gYMbJd7w61 pic.twitter.com/C8gGTmCBND
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) October 22, 2021
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To request a change, head on over to this form by 5th November. You will receive a notification once your request has been processed, although Activision Blizzard warn is may take up to four weeks for changes to go into effect.
As Matt reported at the time, McCree is just one of many characters across Blizzard’s portfolio to have taken his name from a developer at the company. However, back in August, Blizzard announced it would be renaming the cowboy after the real-life Jesse McCree – who had been named in several accounts of the studio’s toxic work culture – was confirmed to have departed the company amid the fallout from the lawsuit.
