Overwatch 2's custom game modes under scrutiny after backlash against custom "Sexual Harassment Simulator" mode
After its rocky launch, Overwatch 2 continues to invite controversy. A new custom game mode, called "Sexual Harassment Simulator," has been making the rounds on Twitter because of its inflammatory title and premise. Credited to YouTuber Amatsuhikone, the description reads "This is version 1.2 of the new and unique Sexual Harassment Simulator. Find new friends, live a normal life and give birth to a child!"
According to a report from PC Gamer, this is how the game mode works: "[Sexual Harassment Simulator] forces one player to play as Cassidy against a team of strictly female Overwatch heroes. In the top-left of the screen, it instructs you to 'Flash to knock down your victims,' which refers to Cassidy's old Overwatch 1 Flashbang ability and then says to 'Tbag to fuck,' which is written with spaces, seemingly to get around a word filter. As you crouch, text appears on the top of the screen that says 'raping…' Enemy heroes are then marked as 'pregnant' and, eventually, a Torbjorn bot is spawned to simulate a child."
Cassidy, the hero the harasser plays as, is the new name for original Overwatch hero McCree. McCree was renamed after it was discovered his namesake, developer Jesse McCree, was involved in the sexual harassment scandals at Activision Blizzard.
Reaching out to Blizzard for comment, PC Gamer was told "Inappropriate or explicit content has absolutely no place in our game." Blizzard also removed the game mode and pledges to continue improving their automatic filters. However, PC Gamer's Tyler Colp has confirmed that the game mode is still accessible if you have the unique five-digit code to access it. It also appears the game mode has been around for some time, as reddit posts dating back to four months can be found criticizing the custom game mode.
