Racist and misogynist Overwatch game goes viral and Blizzard responds

gabhernandez Published 11/04/2019

Twitter user @Yes_ItsRose posted a disturbing video highlighting both sexism and racism in a recent Overwatch match.

The two-minute video depicts Rose playing Mercy in her match. While trying to heal she is badgered with racist remarks about her skin color. Several members of her team even hone in on the color of her skin being the reason for her “mediocre” gameplay.

When one teammate tries to stand up for Rose and tell the offenders that they are being disrespectful, they respond by escalating their toxicity with even worse racial slurs.

Developer Blizzard, who is normally silent about such reports, spoke up in response to the video.

“Thank you and those others who shared this report. While we won’t be able to share any specifics, we did want to let you know that we will be looking into this,” Blizzard said on Twitter.

Videos like this are unfortunately not uncommon, and many female gamers are unable to move into the competitive scene because of this kind of behavior. And it isn’t always possible to simply mute the offenders since communication at higher levels and into the professional scene is so essential.

Twitter user ohadelaide expanded on this challenge.

“‘Just mute them.’ Oh okay, so you want ME to sacrifice MY gameplay in a team-based game that revolves around good communication instead of actually addressing the real problem here, got it,” the user said.

While Blizzard knows about and is actively grappling with the situation, many fans are calling for transparency in issues like this one. Players sometimes get a notification that actions were taken in response to a report, but some players would like to see detailed results such as what kind of ban the offending players are receiving. Many are calling for even harsher consequences for every incident like this one, and not just for cases that gain traction on social media.

In an effort to reduce toxicity and promote effective and polite communication, Overwatch implemented an endorsement system that reduced toxic behavior by about 40 percent. Regardless, these videos and anecdotal reports from people of color and women remain common and show little sign of letting up any time soon.

Read Also

Slots

Here Are the Five Most Popular Online Slots at Stake Right Now Ian John Stake has built up a large and diverse casino catalogue, covering an expansive choice of slot games, live tables, game show-styled games and the ever-popular Stake Originals selection. However, of all the different types of games available on the site, it is video slots that have remained the most popular form of gaming available at the casino. As our Stake review outlines, the casino has a rich selection of the ...

Fortnite

All Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 4 Codes and How To Use Them Zachary Roberts In a totally unprecedented move, Fortnite has added lobby hacks or cheat codes to the game for Chapter 7 Season 4. Never before has this been possible, but you can now input codes for different things. It is rather fitting for the season that's all about gaming, as cheat codes and hacks have been a part of this industry for decades. Here are all the codes as well as how ...

Twitch

PlaqueBoyMax Announces He’ll Multistream on Twitch and YouTube Khizar Mundia Twitch streamer Maxwell “PlaqueBoyMax” Dent is making a shift toward multistreaming, as he has now confirmed that he will also broadcast his content on YouTube. PlaqueBoyMax is a streamer who began his career uploading YouTube videos before expanding to streaming on Twitch. He has amassed close to 3 million followers on Twitch, still has a presence on YouTube, and is only absent from Kick when it comes to the major platforms. ...

Dota 2

TI15’s opening ceremony weaves a tapestry of emotion for Valve’s storied title Michael Hassall The main stage of The International 2026, TI15, kicked off today with the traditional opening ceremony heralding the start of the biggest celebration of Dota 2 on the calendar. On Aug. 20 fans in Shanghai, China, and at home, were treated to a rousing 11-minute series of performances and video packages, introducing TI15’s main stage show. Here’s how the magic unfolded: The ceremony began with a graphic which quite literally ...

Twitch

StableRonaldo to Play GTA 5 for the First Time in New Gaming Marathon Khizar Mundia Rani “StableRonaldo” Netz is joining the GTA 6 hype by announcing that he will be hosting a GTA 5 marathon, and we now have further details about what his challenge will entail. StableRonaldo isn’t new to gaming or marathons, as the creator initially started off by playing Call of Duty. He eventually moved onto Fortnite, even going on to become a professional player in the Epic battle royale. The streamer ...

Twitch

Who Is SukiiMellow and Why Was She Banned From Twitch? Khizar Mundia SukiiMellow is known for her collaborations with popular American streamer Kanel Joseph, and she has just been unexpectedly banned from Twitch. Here’s everything we know about SukiiMellow and why the streaming platform banned her. Streamer University 2026 had several talented streamers who participated as students, and the event helped many set records during its duration. SukiiMellow was one such creator, and she is closely associated with popular streamer Kanel Joseph. ...

League of Legends

Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR Ben Boland Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...