a non-issue to us. We don’t know who made them or if those people were part of the frat boy culture and/or harasment. If the answer to that is yes, than it’s quite understandable they had it changed.
Some of you came up with that somehow a female body should be hidden away, which is literally nonsense. Nowhere does Blizzard say that women can’t express themselves. Some guy making a picture of a woman has nothing to do with women not being able to express themselves.
How is this a PR move when no one would even have noticed it if it hadn’t been on Wowhead in the first place?
Maybe you should talk to those people who were victims of the sexual harasment what they think about before making claims. There’s enough of them on Twitter. Alot of women are getting sick of being treated like sex objects in the workplace.
I tend to focus on what is known, rather than what I can conceivably think of in terms of worst case scenarios*. Would your theory change the situation and its relevance to current events? Absolutely - but right now, that isn’t the case.
(* Altough of late, being a pessimist concerning Blizzard seems the safer bet.)
CoD ?!? Seriously what would really worry me is if these people try to go after the DOOM series because those games more so the recent two titles are brilliant and unapologetic about the violence you inflict as Doomguy/The Slayer on Hell and why Hell is so scared of him. This game is completely tame in comparison and was before this really serious issue was bought to light with the lawsuit in the US.
I also have the view that the minority who make this stuff happen is a real danger to the rest of society because it means that no one can take a stand against real evil when it arises because everyone is so afraid of offending someone if they do so. It’s getting out of control now.
They wouldn’t make such changes if they weren’t going to receive attention. Blizzard knows anything they do would in one way or another be covered by wowhead, because there are dataminers.
Again, these changes do absolutely nothing to help on these issues.
Women that play the game on twitter and other social media platforms are saying on and on that these changes are stupid and empty.
One thing that would help resolving these issues would be to Blizzard not to burn evidences of abuse and obstruct investigations.
Keep defending what is indefensible.
But you don’t know the exact reason why it was changed either. We’re both speculating here. We do know that they wanted to clean up the frat boy culture, in the workplace and in game, as they said they would. This is part of that.
That crisis takes some really weird forms, I tell you. I had a total stranger once venting at me online how he is against mixed relationships because him seeing white women walking along the road with their black partners made him feel less confident and not being attractive. He kept rambling on about his personal female beauty ideals, who were of course limited to white women only and couldn’t understand why I wished to end the conversation after he deemed my existence as a mixed girl “unnatural” and “not normal” and demanded that taking “real” European women the possibility to choose between European men and men with darker skin would be necessary to stop the chances of him as a white guy getting a white woman decreasing. That guy had zero romantic experiences and was ranting to a woman with migration background about forcing white women to focus on white men as exclusive option / standard for attractiveness. When I asked him “What if women with migration background find European men attractive then?” He answered “Well, that’s unnatural, too but doesn’t concern me because I’m not directly affected by that.” Way to go…
And those dark places very often contain objectifying and abusing women to vent, compensate and project their own insecurities on. Needs to be addressed. As needs to be addressed that hobbies like gaming and socialising online are usually the locations where this takes place…
Effort isn’t exactly what the modern dating world is supporting. Improving the way how you approach women seems a completely foreign concept to plenty of men. Not even talking about aspects like attractiveness or hygiene here but the sole habit of behaving authentic. If you’re trying to impress me by imitating what you think is a behaviour women like these days or try to intimidate me with your manly man attitude, I will recognise it and find it utterly creepy. If you instead are nervous but stay yourself despite some embarrassing moves I will most likely grin but find you sympathetic.
To be fair, I’d choose the old fashioned gentleman over the modern yolo clown anytime. Not everything about the traditional male role was bad and I think men need to understand that they’re not asked to reinvent the wheel. However some less projection and more innovation would indeed be nice. Even if it’s just conversation with women you do not intend to romance with. That’s where it begins after all, isn’t it?
Absolutely agree. If men could please stop trying to fight strong women because they feel threatened in their comfort zone that would be great. A strong woman won’t scold you for admitting weakness or sensitivity. That’s one of the most popular misconceptions out there. And it directly stems from stereotyping strong women according to male standards for strength. I would argue that a guy happy in a relationship needs to play half naked female characters though…
Why do I see you using that as a pick up line?..
“Hey there little devilworshipper. 
Y’know, my grand-grand-grand-auntie was hanged for witchcraft. Wanna ride my broomstick and sacrifice a goat together in the woods? ”
Brigante, please… u.u
Waiting for the oppressed minority of white men in this forum to come out and scream: “BUT WE GET RAPED BY BLACK WOMEN, TOO!!!1111eleven”
…
I seriously wish I had a personal house defender doing dishes and laundry. Would be my manly hero, no debate. 
No, honestly. I think those devaluing housework actually fail desperately at it. Is like sport training combined with being electrician, IT expert, crafts(wo)man and facility manager. Honourable profession for both, men and women.
The saying “No one else is able to love you unless you love yourself” is true. For your insecurities will not only destroy the relationship but also your partner…
Is the ridiculous idea that pretty men aren’t masculine. I know a bunch of fair guys with long hair who were bullied at school for that. Something I for a long time couldn’t imagine because I always found them super pretty. One started bodybuilding / martial arts (and also became a massive idiot in the process, but nevermind) to be able and defend himself better. So, we also could talk about how that image of the manly bodybuilder as male idol is full of misconceptions.
Except they did, because no one would have known about it was it not for datamining. Or are they psychic and can see in the future?
Some do say that yes, and we have some who understand why they did it. We’re still not talking about the women who work at Blizzard, who are the focus here. You should ask them.
You do realize that HR who was responsible for that =/= the team that works on WoW right?
Cleaning up a workplace that has been plagued by sexual harasment is now indefensible? It amazes me how some of you can’t understand this simple concept. It’s finally acknowledging that these things have happenend and to show the women that they stand behind them, unlike as in the past. And making changes that reflect that, such as firing those people, removing ingame references of those people and the rest that they deemed falls under the whole frat boy culture.
It’s just windowdressing, really.
“zomg look at us we’re fixing our wrongs”
Going full woke doesn’t fix any issues.
It’s because they are. These changes do nothing except rally equally performative Twitter warriors to defend the corporation. When we are censoring “degenerate art” based on ideological/religious grounds, I begin to worry what else is to follow.
And just for the records, FFXIV is immensely popular with female gamers. Not despite the outrageously slutty glamours, but rather BECAUSE your character can be monster killing, dragon slaying badass in one second and insanely hot for some R&R at the FC house’s hot tub. Some people just enjoy being naughtier than they might be able to be IRL, verbally or visually, in a safe and controlled environment.
Then again, FFXIV is Japanese and not a Western game. Over the last years I have noticed a trend that Japanese media is gaining massive popularity over Western media because Japanese media apparently still cater to their audience rather than Twitter.
I won’t quote it because of length, but +1 on everything you say there.
I’ve experienced the end of the “unnatural “ “traitor” “not furthering identity” line because I’m married to a black woman and pretty much all of my relationships bar one have been with women of a non European heritage or mixed heritage. Honestly I laugh at anyone who has to try and coerce people to date them with lines like “but the bloodline!” Because ones game must be dang low to have to resort to guilt tripping people over genetics as “selling points”.
Agree on the self love line. I’ve actually made a point of trying to be something of a mentor/ role model (I work in education) for these socially estranged young white men. I conform to pretty much every stereotype the negatively label themselves with and I’ve never had massive romantic issues. I’m “short” (at 5 foot 8 on a good day) I have the muscle density of a piece of bacon, I went bald at 18, I’m a nerd, I’m not especially wealthy and to complete the package I’m autistic. And yet, there’s a significant difference in our performances which could be attributed to luck.
Or it could be attributed to the notion that I’ve never been a fan of self loathing. I’ve embraced every particularity about myself as another reason to think I’m awesome. Lost my hair? Who cares I’ll rock bald like it’s no tomorrow. Shorter? Meh, unless I bring it up like an eternal chip on my shoulder will people notice or care? Nerd? Why be ashamed?
These guys need to stop assuming what they are is negative because they end up making it negative when they combine it with their outlooks on women. If they took the view the things they are are of just as much value as anyone else, they wouldn’t find the need to negatively label women and assume women reject them over it, and this would resolve much of their issues.
Confidence and self belief is a heck of an aphrodisiac. Not verging on arrogance mind. But I’ve never thought of anything I am as a reason not to speak to someone. What’s the worst that happens? They say no? Life goes on, they exercised their Will, I did mine, that’s it.
That’s another fundamental problem with this trend as well: these fellows don’t really see women as people and view them through a (hackneyed) lens of biological determinism that they for weird reasons don’t apply to themselves. Utterly bizarre.
Well its interesting this has all kicked off shortly after China has decided to restrict sexualized content in games.
Problem with all of this B.S that is happening is that, it looks like Blizzard (as most other companies) are trying to appeal the minorities as well, which is fine, but they completely ignore the fact that us, who are not part of minority, don’t have it all either and then, they pretty much over do it or well, do it wrongly to appeal desires of minorities.
If those are their desires at all…
This is ridiculously and overreacting! It doesnt solve problem or make it better. It can happen again so it doesnt matter. It is all about to show some respect each other instead of removed or changed. It is just stupid, really stupid!
I mean, I don’t, but I will remember that in the future if needed
“Are you a witch? Because you sure put a spell on me”
Or
“Will you turn me into a frog, because there’s only one cure that turns me into a Prince” 
Ugh, I jut sickened myself with how cheesy those are…
You forgot to add ‘lesbian’ in that, because that makes sense too, right? right?
Lot harder than people think, it ain’t all watching daytime TV and sitting around in your dressing gown. At least I only had two cats to look after, not a child. Exhausting enough looking after my toddler niece when she is dropped over once a week!
Ooooh! How very dare you! T’is true though, I do dislike cheese. I don’t trust it’s motives…
You dislike cheese? I’m sorry what? Every type of cheese??!
Yeah, it’s up to something, I just don’t know what yet…
But yeah, didn’t mind Dairylea triangles on crackers as a kid (Which I admit, is as close to cheese, as a nuclear reactor is close to your electrical supply powering a lightbulb) but nah, hate it, it’s not even lactose based, I drink a hecktonne of milk.
Domino’s do a thing with their app, Last LARP event I was like “how do I order this…can I get a responsible adult” (I asked people twenty years younger than me, on average)
“Right, No Cheese, faff to the tomato, BBQ sauce base, then that meat, that meat and that meat”
“So you just want a meat tart?”
“Exactly that”
“Wow, you’re a special kind of trans-species cannibal”
An hour later “Can I have a slice of that, it looks proper tasty like”
Wonder whats next… Genderless races?
I truly hope they don’t start covering up stuff like the top half of the Scarlet Sin’dorei Robes on female characters.
I can actually create some really good transmogs between the top half and a nice red-like shirt which you can’t do on male characters.