Replacement for Overwatch "Butt Pose" Revealed

In March, Blizzard Entertainment announced that it would replace Overwatch's controversial "butt pose" for the character Tracer. Now, the replacement for the animation victory has been revealed.

Posted on NeoGAF, the new animation focuses less on Tracer's backside than the previous version. You can see the original version here, while it's also embedded below.

Controversy around Tracer's animation victory emerged at the end of March, when someone in the Overwatch forums said they were none-too-pleased with it.

Overwatch game director Jeff Kaplan replied to the thread, saying Blizzard was planning to replace the post so as to create a more welcoming environment for all players. "We want *everyone* to feel strong and heroic in our community. The last thing we want to do is make someone feel uncomfortable, under-appreciated, or misrepresented," he explained. "Apologies and we'll continue to try to do better."

At the time, Kaplan acknowledged that Blizzard was not exactly thrilled with the first version.

"We weren't entirely happy with the original pose, it was always one that we wrestled with creatively," Kaplan explained. "That the pose had been called into question from an appropriateness standpoint by players in our community did help influence our decision--getting that kind of feedback is part of the reason we're holding a closed beta test--but it wasn't the only factor. We made the decision to go with a different pose in part because we shared some of the same concerns, but also because we wanted to create something better."

Some have suggested that Blizzard's decision to revisit the pose is bad news because it means the developer is caving in to community demands, which could create a slippery slope. But Kaplan doesn't exactly see it that way.

"We wouldn't do anything to sacrifice our creative vision for Overwatch, and we're not going to remove something solely because someone may take issue with it," he said. "Our goal isn't to water down or homogenize the world, or the diverse cast of heroes we've built within it. We have poured so much of our heart and souls into this game that it would be a travesty for us to do so.

"We understand that not everyone will agree with our decision, and that's okay. That's what these kinds of public tests are for. This wasn't pandering or caving, though. This was the right call from our perspective, and we think the game will be just as fun the next time you play it."

Overwatch launches on May 24 for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The beta starts earlier in the month and you can read this post to get all the details about how you can get in.

In other news about Tracer, she's also coming to Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm.