Overwatch Replaces McCree's Noose Spray

A recent update to Overwatch has removed one of the cosmetic sprays that players can tag onto surfaces as the cowboy gunslinger McCree. The spray in question depicts a rope tied in the shape of a noose, and it has been replaced by a horseshoe that says "bad luck."

While developer Blizzard has not said anything publicly about the decision to remove the spray, it appears to be a part of a widespread reckoning with racist and racially-charged imagery in media. The image of the noose has long been associated with the lynchings of Black men in the United States, and it's been in the news recently due to the discovery of a noose in the stall of Bubba Wallace, a Black driver for Nascar.

Overwatch has come under fire for its cosmetics in the past, with one of Pharah's skins drawing fire for its Native American imagery. Some fans have also called for Blizzard to remove the game's explicitly police-themed skins for characters such as Brigitte and D.Va, but there's been no movement on that front as of yet.

In other Overwatch happenings, the game's latest event offers special rewards for Sigma, one of the game's many tanks. If you complete 9 wins with Sigma, you will obtain his new legendary skin, Maestro Sigma.