In the wake of the legal turmoil surrounding Activision Blizzard, several alterations have been made to games, including the iconicWorld of Warcraft. While these changes appear to have been made to manage public opinion in the middle of several lawsuits, including one that directly addresses gender discrimination and Activision Blizzard’s reported frat boy culture, some may have more basis than others. One recent change made to aWorld of WarcraftNPC seems to have caught many fans off-guard.
Blizzard’s decision toremove outdatedWorld of Warcraftjoke and flirt voicelinesmay be understandable, but recently the company decided to make an additional change to an NPC previously named after a celebrity. This NPC, who was known as Gorge the Corpsegrinder–after controversial Cannibal Corpse singer, George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher–has been slated to be renamed after fans dug up a 2007 interview where Fisher used homophobic language in a tirade against Alliance players.
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According to a recent WoWhead article, Gorge the Corpsegrinder will soon be renamed Annihilator Grek’lor to distance him from Fisher. This isn’t the first timeBlizzard committed to renaming a characterwho had previously been named after a divisive figure, but the connection between Gorge the Corpsegrinder and Fisher seems to be a bit more distant than the connection betweenOverwatch’s Jesse McCree and the real-life Jesse McCree, a former employee at Blizzard. Some fans have raised questions about why Gorge the Corpsegrinder was judged important enough to rename when players are still raising complaints aboutWorld of Warcraft’s mechanics.
However, Fisher’s history with World of Warcraft isn’t limited to the 2007 appearance–he was also invited on stage during BlizzCon 2011, where he appeared alongside the real-life Elite Tauren Chieftain band. The guest appearance was even introduced with a censored clip from the 2007 interview. While the decision to feature Fisher’s interview led to an apology from both the Elite Tauren Chieftain band and CEO Mike Morhaime, the NPC referencing him remained unchanged until now, which has led some players to question theintent behind Blizzard’s recent creative decisions.
As of writing, it appears that manyWorld of Warcraftfansare underwhelmed by the decision to change Gorge the Corpsegrinder’s name. However, others seem to be quite satisfied with Blizzard’s choice, or at least agree that Fisher’s words mean he should not be represented within the game. The changes will be implemented in the upcoming 9.1.5 patch.
