Recently, developer Blizzard teased the upcoming arrival of a brand new map in “Overwatch.” It is called Junkertown, which is basically based on Junkrat and Roadhog’s hometown Australia.
However, the aforementioned “Overwatch” map was flagged for its cultural sensitivity. This obviously earned the ire of people living in the said country. Well, here’s everything about it in a nutshell.
Blizzard issues apologies
According to GameSpot, the very own director of the game named Jeff Kaplan issued an apology after the controversy involving the Junkertown map.
It was directed to the “entire country of Australia” in hopes to resolve the said issue. Basically, the new map is set in Australia and has the sign that says “take-out.” The latter is an American term, but the way that it should is the Australian term “take-away.”
Kaplan voiced on Reddit that he and his entire team were sorry for the insensitivity on their part. He iterated that they did not mean to convey such insensitivity in “Overwatch.” Kaplan also promised that it would be fixed in an upcoming patch, though he wasn’t clear on the release date. Hence he mentioned that the “sign travesty” would still be live for a few more days. He assured the people of Australia, however, that they’ve come up with the necessary changes already.
They just need to complete the process for the entire patch.
There are more
Apparently though, the sign is not the only element that is earning controversy in “Overwatch.” The trailer of the Junkertown map, for instance, has a voiceover that talks about taking the land and giving it to the “machines.” Eventually, Blizzard caught fire, as players went to social media to bash the studio.
It is worth noting that the voiceover somehow references to Australia’s controversial history involving their indigenous groups. This is obviously a huge issue for the studio, considering the fact that players are complaining about the game’s being broken. There have been countless disconnects, forcing players to leave the game.
As for the new “Overwatch” map, it is expected to hit Gamescom within the week. Although the studio has yet to announce a certain release date, many expect it to arrive a week or two afterward. Currently, the game is about to end its ongoing event called Summer Games. It is the developers’ way of celebrating the hottest time of the year. Interestingly, the titular game mode of the event called Lucioball is based on the popular Sydney Stadium. So, for players who are looking to acquire more Summer Games skins, they better continue playing.
