Home Gaming Gamers are terribly upset over a missing cigar

Gamers are terribly upset over a missing cigar

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cry

Tychus Findlay, the big bad space Marine who stands as the poster boy for StarCraft is known for two things; being a larcenous bad-ass, and perpetually smoking a cigar. Like many of Blizzard’s characters, he’s in their all-stars Heroes of the Storm Moba – only without his trademark cigar. Because vocal gamers on the internet are some of the whiniest people on this, or any other planet, many have taken umbrage with the rolled up, stuffed fermented tobacco leaf sticking out of his mouth.

“YES. We know smoking is bad, everybody does. BUT! it’s not Blizzard’s job to make sure we don’t do it anyway” is the name of a surprisingly explosive Reddit thread on the Heroes of the Storm sub-Reddit.

Here’s what the OP says:

“Blizzard, you are betraying your own game, your own universe, and your own fans.

People might say, well calm down, it’s JUST a cigar.. right?

No, it’s a matter of principle. Standing up for what you believe in, and not caving in to hypocrisy. You made Tychus and other characters in a special way, because it fits with the fantasy and the art, are you really gonna change that vision, because somebody has a problem with it?

I thought you had more balls than that, Blizzard.

Bring back Tychus’ cigar, because it’s NOT your job to police kids and parents to NOT smoke. Let people figure out their own lives on their own. If kids begin to smoke, it’s the PARENTS fault, not yours.”

And from there, people have said that they’re no longer playing the game because of the omitted cigar. I can not even begin to imagine a world where this is an actual problem worth getting angry over – but angry some people are. Here’s one response on that thread, which I think maybe, maybe oversteps thing a little .

“Fucking Blizzard baby back bullshit, fuck you guys again. Fuck you Mike Moreheim. Grow a dick Blizzard.”

Blizzard’s helpfully explained why Tychus’ iconic cigar is absent:

In the case of Tychus’ cigar there were regions where he wouldn’t be allowed to smoke. We have two options:

  • Make 2 versions, one smoking, one non-smoking
  • Remove the Cigar

Making 2 versions means more data management, multiple duplicates of the asset (if we update an animation, it has to propagate to all versions) such as the the death ragdoll model, The facial animations, his morph into the Odin, and apply that process to every skin as well. This mountain of work affects multiple departments and has to be addressed every time we’d adjust Tychus.

OR

Remove the cigar. Put the development time into more content instead of bloating the management of one character. This is a decision based on productivity. The appeal of Tychus should not hinge on a cigar anyways, and we have no issue with that aspect of his character.

Makes sense to me! I have to imagine that the people who’re so damned angry about this have no real problems.

Last Updated: May 25, 2015

96 Comments

  1. Trevor Matrix

    May 25, 2015 at 08:38

    I think people are getting fed up with games being “cleaned up” because of PC’ness.

    Reply

    • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

      May 25, 2015 at 09:04

      Was it actually “PC’ness” that informed Blizzards decision not to include the trademark Cigar? Because if it wasn’t, then Gamers are getting fed up for the wrong reason. But I’m not privy to Blizzards internal decisions on character development in the MOBA. So I couldn’t say.

      Reply

      • Trevor Matrix

        May 25, 2015 at 09:08

        It wasn’t PC on the cigar front no. Blizzard had a valid tech reason for removing the cigar.
        But a lot of decisions regarding character design is based on this rage about PC’ness in games.

        Reply

        • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

          May 25, 2015 at 09:10

          A lot of decisions? How many?

          And how many aren’t?

          Reply

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 25, 2015 at 09:14

            It’s a perception thing. MK X downsexed their female characters. Batgirl’s suit was designed to not hug the curves so much.

            The whole rAge over Roxy thing.

            And you and I both know you cannot swing a tabby cat on the internet without hitting SOME PC gobbledy gook about something.

            Hear my words.

            Gaming, if this site and a hell of a lot of others are to be believed, is heading towards a very, creatively speaking, bland plane of existence.

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:17

            All I hear is a bunch of superstition about “PC’ness” in the gaming industry. No real insight or figures to back up what is clearly just an opinion. Glad we established this. Thanks for coming out and dressing up your agenda. 😉

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 25, 2015 at 09:22

            Superstition? LoL. Go read some comments on previous articles on this very site my friend. Then come back and talk to me about superstition.
            And I do apologize for not having stats and spreadsheets and a Powerpoint slideshow to backup my theories.
            Because fuck my brain and my experiences. What are they to the power of the allmighty spreadsheet?

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:28

            Not. Even. Relevant. Isolated comments does not a global trend in an industry make. Geeez. Didn’t you EVEN BOTHER to take stats? Man. If you want to talk about trends in an industry you HAVE to have actual DATA. Otherwise you’re just talking out of your behind. Or supporting a superstition (which also doesn’t have any factual data to support it, hence why it’s a superstition).

            And I don’t discount your personal experiences (your brain…. I’m not sure yet). Just don’t dress it up as anything but that. YOUR opinion. Which is informed by not only lived experience, but various other things (i.e. social experiences, upbringing, education, etc etc). I’m ALL for an emic perspective dude. Just call it what it is. Just say “Hey I think this. But I have NOTHING to back it up. It’s just a gut feeling. 🙂

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 25, 2015 at 09:18

            It’s true. Why, now that male porn actors have to wear condoms soon we won’t even see sex in porn, it’ll just be two people cuddling. And SHE’LL be the big spoon!

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:19

            LOL! Upvote x10000 if I could.

          • Hargrim

            May 25, 2015 at 09:24

            On the ‘curves’ front, Blizzard has been doing things the other way around actually.

            There was a small outcry some time ago about Tyrande being over-sexualised in HotS, with the Sylvanas patch, Tyrande’s clothes got smaller and her curves bigger.

            The same thing happened to the Succubus Kerrigan skin in the most recent patch

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:32

            I don’t know why people are so in love with Kerrigan. She would literally eat your face and leave your entrails for Abathar.

            Not my idea of a fun night out on the town with a girl.

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 25, 2015 at 09:33

            Bcoz she’s hawt!

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 25, 2015 at 09:34

            For a masochist it is

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:37

            I was not aware that a Masochist wanted to die so badly. 😛
            Surely a Masochist would want elongated periods of pleasure pain? Kerrigan would be a once off deal. Rather call that 50 Shades of Grey character. That’s going to at least give you a few books worth of agony! 😛

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 25, 2015 at 09:39

            Haha.
            So Kerrigan is the one-night-stand from hell then.

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:40

            Or from heaven. Depending on how she uses all those Zerg implements. And what you’re into. And if you like being eaten alive. 😛

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 25, 2015 at 09:41

            O_o

          • Lord Chaos

            May 25, 2015 at 09:43

            Sounds hawt…

          • Kromas,powered by windows 10.

            May 25, 2015 at 10:00

            Well. To be honest. Roxy had tentacles coming at her and most gamers know what that means. 😛

          • Matthew John

            May 25, 2015 at 13:02

            OMG! Cant believe you are promoting swinging tabby cats at things! HAve you ever heard of animal cruelty? I’m swatting the SPCA on your ass right now!

  2. Blood Emperor Trevor

    May 25, 2015 at 08:39

    I’m sure they’ll get over their disappointment very quickly once someone points out a cigar is also a phallic symbol.

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 25, 2015 at 08:42

      Smokin’ hot Kitty Cat????

      Reply

  3. Trevor Matrix

    May 25, 2015 at 08:39

    And another question: These zones where said character cannot smoke: What do they do with TV shows/movies that show people smoking? How do they handle that?

    Reply

  4. Lord Chaos

    May 25, 2015 at 08:40

    And then when they add it the pro gamers will want it removed because it’s too distracting…

    Reply

  5. RinceTheElfRoot

    May 25, 2015 at 08:45

    God damn baby whining jerks.

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 25, 2015 at 08:46

      Oh all these types of comments I find overtly rich with traces of bittersweet irony! Weren’t most of you all baby whining jerks because of some bum being shown by a certain mascot?

      Reply

      • RinceTheElfRoot

        May 25, 2015 at 09:21

        Oh. That. rather different cases there. One is about being inclusive, the other is about a cigar.

        Reply

        • Trevor Matrix

          May 25, 2015 at 09:26

          Uhhhh… No. Come on! SCIENCE backs up my point of view on smoking kills! Fuck, I had seen my own mother battling to get oxygen into her blood because the way Peter Stuyvasent ate away her lungs.
          Not to mention the horrible blackness that was my father in law’s X-rays that showed fuckall where his lungs were.
          Come on! If we as a community is so concerened about inclusivity, let’s make sure that smokers, drug abusers, suicide victims, alcoholics and so on and so forth is included in this great thing called living!!

          Reply

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 25, 2015 at 09:27

            Um, okay… Not sure how you got there but okay…

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 25, 2015 at 09:29

            LoL. Neither do I. Frustration my friend. Frustration.

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:46

            ^This

        • Blood Emperor Trevor

          May 25, 2015 at 09:29

          No! You’re WRONG! They’re identical when you remove any kind of context from the discussion! Which you obviously have to do because context blah blah something something leads to PC leads to infinite blandness! Say NO to context, say NO it’s oppression of free thinking!

          Reply

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 25, 2015 at 09:29

            BWAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 25, 2015 at 09:30

            SAY NO!

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 25, 2015 at 09:32

            Andrew Ryan, is that you?

          • RinceTheElfRoot

            May 25, 2015 at 09:33

            You leave him alone! He can be whoever he wants to be!

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 25, 2015 at 09:34

            You just say that because you’re hoping one day he’ll start dressing and talking like you.

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 25, 2015 at 10:15

            I’m not a masochist.

          • Blood Emperor Trevor

            May 25, 2015 at 09:35

            I am whoever I want to be, the SJWPCOMGLOLWTF’s haven’t installed the thought control implant yet. But once they do I’ll be all better.

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:47

            ^This x2

      • Sageville

        May 25, 2015 at 10:59

        I take offence at being referred to as a baby whining jerk.

        I still stand by all my views.

        Please wind your neck back in sunshine.

        Reply

        • Trevor Matrix

          May 25, 2015 at 11:18

          Oh go smoke some Dope, you Dope! 😛

          Reply

          • Sageville

            May 25, 2015 at 11:39

            uhuh

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 25, 2015 at 11:47

            LoL. I doubt that! 🙂

          • Travi the Batman

            May 25, 2015 at 15:32

            USING THE WRONG MEME IN THE WRONG PLACE IN THE WRONG CONTEXT IN THE WRONG WAY
            REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

          • Sageville

            May 25, 2015 at 16:37

            I have no clue what you are on about…

  6. Hammersteyn

    May 25, 2015 at 08:49

    I’d put a dummy in Tychus’s mouth just to troll them

    Reply

    • Lord Chaos

      May 25, 2015 at 08:50

      How is that trolling? It would fit him better.

      Reply

  7. kuuu(UMAR)rrrr

    May 25, 2015 at 08:49

    Can I start a Twitter movement now? #CigarGate

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 25, 2015 at 08:51

      Only if it is to have the cigar removed. As a non smoking white straight male I find it offensive that manliness is only portrayed as some roided up, cigar chomping brute with a bad face.

      Reply

      • Lord Chaos

        May 25, 2015 at 08:53

        As I smoking white straight male I find it offensive.

        Reply

        • Trevor Matrix

          May 25, 2015 at 08:54

          I don’t care for your offence! I do not want my children growing up thinking smoking is cool! Then have them die as they no longer have lungs to supply them with oxygen!

          Reply

          • Lord Chaos

            May 25, 2015 at 09:00

            Then you should also keep them away from any type of food, any roads, breathing city air and the list goes on.

          • Trevor Matrix

            May 25, 2015 at 09:02

            Any type of food? Granted, our food might not be as healthy as I want it to be, but is it really any worse than sucking in tar and nicotine straight into your lungs?

          • Lord Chaos

            May 25, 2015 at 09:04

            Nope, it’s not, but also not much better with the amount of pesticides. Neither do I support the “it’s cool” bs. I do it because it’s my choice, just like tattoos, piercings and religion.

      • kuuu(UMAR)rrrr

        May 25, 2015 at 08:55

        Where can I find your Youtube channel Trevita Matreesian?

        Reply

  8. ReaperOfSquirrels

    May 25, 2015 at 08:55

    LMAO… freaking MOBA players.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      May 25, 2015 at 09:05

      • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

        May 25, 2015 at 09:08

        AM? AM? AM?

        The answer is AM right?

        IT HAS TO BE!

        AM?!

        Not AM?!

        NO! AM! FINAL ANSWER!

        Reply

    • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

      May 25, 2015 at 09:09

      I try to upvote your comments whenever I see them. Only because I detest Squirrels. And love Pratchett. So the melding of those two things into your nick is awesome.

      But this time I’m upvoting you because I had the exact same response. 🙂

      Reply

      • ReaperOfSquirrels

        May 25, 2015 at 09:20

        I didn’t even think of the Pratchett reference… #awesomeness

        Reply

        • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

          May 25, 2015 at 09:48

          Nick is even more awesome now. YOU GOT THERE ON YOUR OWN! 😀

          Reply

  9. SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

    May 25, 2015 at 08:59

    CM needs bigger boobs and an AWESOME wolf pet…. uh… wait… nvm! Thanks Volvo! Now please turn the ancients into competing Volvo wagons or I no longer doto! DO IT NOW I SAY!

    In other news, a Shark ate a founding reddit contributor and all was well with the world.

    Reply

  10. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    May 25, 2015 at 09:02

    People play Heroes of the Storm?

    Well I guess if you can’t play DOTA… Huehuehuehue 😛

    Reply

    • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

      May 25, 2015 at 09:05

      I’m still trying to figure out if HotS (not to be confused with HotS) is worth the time or not. I’m too much of a DotA addict. I keep trying to last hit, deny, and ward. People be like “what the what dude?”

      WHY NO COURIER UPGRADE DAMMIT!? Oh. Right. No items. Lol.

      *Edit: Plus high ping is for SUCKERS!

      Reply

      • UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

        May 25, 2015 at 09:10

        It is filled with casualness…

        Also it is just way too dumbed down IMO…

        Then again anyone starting out in MOBAs would love it.

        Also no items? WTF! Lame…

        Reply

        • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

          May 25, 2015 at 09:11

          Yeah I think as a starting out point it’s great. But with over 2k hours invested in DotA I just struggle to get anything rewarding out of HotS.

          I mean 6.84 drops just a few new items and the entire meta shifts. Items open up so much awesome gameplay. To leave them out just seems… meh.

          Reply

        • Lord Chaos

          May 25, 2015 at 09:13

          I prefer playing this because I know the characters from all the different places.

          Not that I play it all that much. For me it’s a secondary for the fun of it game

          Reply

          • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

            May 25, 2015 at 09:20

            I can see and appreciate that. It’s the *only* reason I even tried it (because the connection to the characters is great). But it’s not enough, in my opinion, to compete with the established DotA (and LoL *shudders*) fanbase.

  11. Ross Woofels Mason

    May 25, 2015 at 09:25

    You can’t even see the mans face 90% of the time you’re playing a match? Does it really fucking matter. I honestly did not even notice.

    Reply

  12. Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

    May 25, 2015 at 09:30

    I can actually understand this.
    It’s f^&#ing annoying to have every damn thing censored and cleaned these days and it’s also bloody stupid. I watched an old-school cartoon on the plane the other day and you know what: Tweety was smoking a cigar in it. Difference is that people weren’t so f@&%ing sensitive back then.
    Now excluding a cigar. It’s ridiculous.
    (yes, I do see the irony in my comment)

    Reply

    • Trevor Matrix

      May 25, 2015 at 09:31

      We had real “Parents” back then… That’s the difference. 😛

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

        May 25, 2015 at 09:33

        And children could think for themselves.

        Reply

        • Trevor Matrix

          May 25, 2015 at 09:35

          Yes. But not today. You will not believe the hectic fight we had with my 3 year old cousin, trying to get him off the Cubans and booze… All because we were careless and let him watch that exact cartoon…

          Reply

          • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

            May 25, 2015 at 09:36

            We should blame TV and the teachers, because parenting had nothing to do with it.

    • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

      May 25, 2015 at 09:40

      I’m sure that Blizzard are allowed to dress up their characters anyway they see fit. Plus I’m not sure we could accuse them of actively censoring things. 😛

      I think you’re being sensitive thinking that this is censorship when it’s really not. It’s their intellectual property. They can take it wherever they want to go. If you don’t like, grow a set of balls and stop complaining. Like real men did in the 50’s! 😛

      Reply

      • Captain JJ Hack&Slash&Dodge

        May 25, 2015 at 11:31

        Haha.
        Wow.

        Now I’m offended that you didn’t censor the word “balls”
        ;P

        Reply

        • SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

          May 25, 2015 at 11:42

          meatballs*

          😀

          Reply

  13. Kromas,powered by windows 10.

    May 25, 2015 at 09:58

    3rd option. Don’t release to those countries. What countries were they? Did they even get to see Lord of the Rings? (pretty much everyone smokes something in that movie.)

    Bet you it was Australia. That dog murdering criminal island.

    Reply

  14. SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5

    May 25, 2015 at 10:00

    So we’re accusing Blizzard of being PC now? We’re saying they don’t have the balls to follow their throbbing hearts, no matter what the pervading political and social climate? Seriously?

    Guys. Guys. This is the company who gave Diablo boobies in D3. We can’t honestly be calling them PC can we? Diablo. The biggest, most badassest Prime Evil. With boobs. And they’re PC? 😛

    Reply

  15. Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

    May 25, 2015 at 10:07

    They actually have more real problems than they realise lol

    Reply

  16. Gr8_Balls_o_KFM_Fire

    May 25, 2015 at 10:09

    So.. A character designed to kill all manner of lifeforms is not allowed to have a cigar because its not politically correct. ?

    Can not compute. Bzz. Bzz bzz

    Reply

  17. ninistore

    May 25, 2015 at 10:23

  18. WitWolfy

    May 25, 2015 at 10:44

    Almost thought this was MGS 5 PP related.

    Reply

  19. bravosewe

    May 25, 2015 at 11:20

    OK, so you can make a game where killing people is rewarded, you can make a game where you can rip your opponents spine out or stomp his head into detailed mush. But don’t f****ing DARE to show somebody with a smoke in his mouth?
    Make sense.

    Reply

  20. Kensei Seraph - Terran Ghost

    May 25, 2015 at 12:26

    He smoked a cigar?

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      May 25, 2015 at 14:59

      No. He kept a cigar between his lips. Smoking seemed to be very optional to me.

      Reply

  21. 20twelve

    May 25, 2015 at 12:44

    lol.

    Reply

  22. nalsan mangala

    May 25, 2015 at 15:13

    ?????????????Take advice with lazygamer < I didn't believe …that…my brother woz like truly making money part time at their computer. . there aunt had bean doing this 4 only seventeen months and resantly paid the dept on there apartment and bourt themselves a Lotus Elise .

    see this her ????? ===—->-> SEE MORE DETAIL

    Reply

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