Cole Cassidy
Overwatch character
Cassidy's appearance in Overwatch
First gameOverwatch (2016)
Created byChris Metzen[1]
Designed byArnold Tsang and Peter Lee[2]
Ben Zhang (revolver)[2]
Voiced byMatthew Mercer[3]
In-universe information
AliasJesse McCree
ClassDamage
NationalityAmerican

Cole Cassidy is a character from the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. Originally named Jesse McCree after a developer at Blizzard, the character's name was changed after the developer was fired for alleged inappropriate behavior at the company.

Conception and development

Logann's concept defined several aspects of Cassidy's, such as his cybernetic arm

The character's original concept was designed by Chris Metzen as a cyborg cowboy considered for the original Starcraft,[1] "Prospector Logann".[4] Years later, Blizzard concept artists Arnold Tsang and Peter Lee refined the design for a then-planned Starcraft game.[5] While the project itself was cancelled, after Overwatch's development team took a liking to the design's combination of science fiction and gunslinger archetypes,[2] it was recycled for a new character in the game.[6] In their eyes the design had everything they wanted in a playable character for the game: a strong personality, unique visual style, and memorable pop culture themes.[2]

When adapting his previous work Tsang aimed to make minimal changes to the design, such as replacing the coat with a serape and adding flash bangs to his belt.[1] The appearance of the character's primary weapon, a one-handed revolver, was conceptualized by concept artist Ben Zhang. Some consideration was given to which arm of his arms would hold the gun, deciding that his right arm should hold the weapon, so his mechanical left would be able to rapidly fan the gun's hammer.[2] His in game 3D model consists of several layered meshes,[7] and as a result the overall complexity caused some difficulty for the design team later on, as animations were created to interact with elements such as his belt and hat.[8]

According to lead writer Michael Chu, they wanted to give the character "the perfect cowboy name", and referencing separate lists of first and last names they were unable to find a combination they felt that fit. One of the developers suggested "Jesse McCree", after a then-Blizzard developer. The team liked it, and the developer signed over the rights for his name to the team for use.[3] The name was used for the character until 2021, when in July of that year a lawsuit was filed by California's Department of Fair Employment against Activision Blizzard related to workplace misconduct and discrimination against female employees. Among the employees involved was McCree, who was fired due to the alleged behavior. In the weeks that followed, during broadcasts of the Overwatch League eSports gameplay, announcers opted to use "the cowboy" instead of "McCree" when calling matches.[9] Blizzard confirmed in late August 2021 that they would rename McCree "to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for",[10] changing it to Cole Cassidy.[11]

Design

Cassidy stands approximately 1.85m (6' 1") tall.[7]

Like other Overwatch characters, Cassidy received skins, unlockable cosmetic items to change his in-game appearance.[11]

Appearances

In the Overwatch narrative, Cassidy came from Santa Fe, New Mexico. At some point in his early life, he assumed the pseudonym of "Jesse McCree" to hide from his past, and joined the Deadlock Gang, a group of traffickers in military hardware operating in the American Southwest. He and his fellows were captured in an Overwatch sting operation, and he was given a choice: prison, or serving in Blackwatch, the black ops division of Overwatch. He chose the latter, believing he could make amends for his past crimes, and reveling in the lack of bureaucratic oversight. When Overwatch began to collapse and Blackwatch sought to reform it to its own ends, Cassidy went underground, resurfacing years later as a gunslinger for hire, dropping his false name. After Winston initiates the recall message to reform Overwatch, Cassidy receives it, but initially refuses it and insists Echo, the creation of the late Dr. Mina Liao, to rejoin the organization in his stead. He is soon approached by Ana Amari, who also got the message and persuades him to make Overwatch better by finding new heroes to join the cause. Cassidy ends up recruiting Pharah, Baptiste, Zarya, and D.Va into his new team.[12]

Gameplay

He carries his Peacekeeper six-shooter, with its primary fire that can shoot single shots with high accuracy at moderate range, and its alternate fire allowing him to Fan the Hammer to quickly unload any remaining ammo at close range in rapid fire with some loss of accuracy. He can quickly dodge attacks using his Combat Roll ability which also instantly reloads his revolver. In Overwatch he could throw a Flashbang grenade a short distance which stunned enemies and interrupted their abilities. In Overwatch 2, the Flashbang ability was replaced with a short-range Magnetic Grenade that deals high damage on a direct hit, but no longer stuns the enemy. Cassidy's ultimate ability is Deadeye, which allows him to line up shots on every enemy in his sight, with resulting damage proportional to the time spent aiming.[13] In Overwatch, Cassidy was considered one of the easiest characters to learn, enabled by the Flashbang/Fan the Hammer combo, which could kill most low- to mid-health opponents in one shot.[14]

Blizzard wanted Cassidy to be a hero strong against agile opponents and to counter close-range abilities, according to Geoff Goodman.[14] To achieve this, Cassidy has seen a confusing sequence of buffs and nerfs in the months after the game's initial release, which led some to jokingly call him "the most indecisive character" of the game.[15] Initially, his burst damage output and versatility on all ranges made him a popular pick in almost any situation, but after numerous tweaks, he lost his main role of a tank killer and became a somewhat ambiguous anti-flanker with additional long-range capability.[14] When these updates were made, Kaplan said that they were necessary to bring more in line with their vision for Cassidy's role, saying that "We want [Cassidy] to be a counter to people like Tracer, Genji and Reaper. What we're not crazy about, right now, is the way in which [Cassidy] can absolutely shred tanks."[16]

Promotion and reception

Jospeh Knoop of The Daily Dot felt the character's personality was the most significant factor for his appeal, noting that while he felt the character's gameplay was lacking there was "no getting around the fact that a cowboy with 'BAMF' on his belt buckle and a robotic arm is totally awesome".[17] Author Matt Margini cited Cassidy as an example of the enduring nature of the cowboy aesthetic, stating that Overwatch wouldn't be the same without the "(literal) straight shooter who keeps the game tethered both thematically and mechanically to more grounded forms of gunplay.[18] Cass Marshall of Polygon stated that while Cassidy was "a silly character", it was part of his charm, and in some ways represents the best parts of the franchise's setting. They additionally praised the character's sense of decency, putting others before himself or the mission to keep them safe and his interactions that contrasted against the more stern faces of the Overwatch group. Marshall hoped to see more of the character, stating that despite Cassiy's flaws "he still manages to be one of Overwatch's best heroes, and that’s something we can all admire."[19]

Kill Screen's Chris Priestman felt Cassidy embodied the "falsity" of how old west gunslingers were perceived, drawing direct inspiration from Val Kilmer's portrayal of Doc Holliday and Clint Eastwood's The Man with No Name and adding that while visually McCree was a joke, "as cheesy as his belt buckle is [...] it’s not without merit." Priestman further stated that while the character felt out of place in the Overwatch cast, and his own initial assumption was to assume Cassidy was an "asshole", the character inspired imagery of popular depictions of cowboys and the old Wild West, as opposed to simply being someone in a costume "trying to hide behind the image". He shared Marshall's approval of his sense of decency, and added that Cassidy "has it where it counts [...] You're supposed to feel intimidated by the stone-cold manliness he resurrects from the past."[20]

In May 2017, the social networking website Tumblr sifted through its data in order to determine which character pairings in Overwatch were the most popular. The data revealed that Cassidy and Hanzo (resulting in the nickname "McHanzo" due to Cassidy's name at the time) were the most popular pairing and that in all "shipping" related posts, they were shipped 35% of the time.[21][note 1] A McHanzo-related fan fiction story titled "Hang the Fool", published on Archive of Our Own, was noted by Kotaku for being long-running.[22] First starting in June 2016, the fanfic had garnered more than 300,000 hits by the end of 2017, even getting a fanzine based on it published.[23] "Hang the Fool" was recognized by Syfy's Kristina Manete in 2020,[24] and Manete noted another McHanzo fic titled "The Chain" for being a "wonderful study of [Cassidy] and Hanzo's personalities and pasts culminates in a spectacular fic for fans of the pair".[25] While McHanzo is not canonized within Overwatch and Blizzard has not confirmed it, people involved with the game and company have acknowledged it.[26] Matthew Mercer described the pairing as "adorable", noting that the characters' contrasting personalities makes the ship interesting.[27] Director and lead designer of Overwatch, Jeff Kaplan, when asked by a fan at BlizzCon 2017, stated that McHanzo is one of his two favorite ships from the game; the other being Pharah and Mercy.[28][29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the desire by fans for two or more people, either real-life individuals or fictional characters (in film, literature, television etc.) to be in a relationship, romantic or otherwise. Such pairings are called "ships" and often have their own names.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. p. 51. ISBN 9781506705538.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. pp. 48–49. ISBN 9781506705538.
  3. 1 2 Chu, Michael (December 22, 2017). Every Overwatch Hero Explained by Blizzard’s Michael Chu. Wired. Retrieved October 25, 2023 – via YouTube.
  4. ↑ Alford, Aaron; Richman, Olivia (August 26, 2021). "Wild speculations on what McCree's new name will be". Iven Global. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Fanatics Authentic StarCraft Prospector Logann 19.5 x 30 Stretched Canvas - Artists Arnold Tsang and Peter Lee". Blizzard Online Store. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  6. ↑ Kaplan, Jeff (November 5, 2017). Overwatch Archives BlizzCon 2017. Retrieved June 2, 2023 – via YouTube.
  7. 1 2 "Overwatch Cosplay Guide: McCree" (PDF). Blizzard Entertainment. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  8. ↑ Burns, Matt (October 24, 2017). Simpson, Robert; Gary, Cate; Monahan, Allison (eds.). The Art of Overwatch Limited Edition. Dark Horse Comics. p. 204. ISBN 9781506705538.
  9. ↑ Gach, Ethan (August 12, 2021). "Overwatch League Casters Stop Saying McCree's Name". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (August 26, 2021). "Blizzard will rename Overwatch's Jesse McCree". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 26, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Chalk, Andy (November 9, 2021). "A new Overwatch comic begins the story of Cole Cassidy's new name". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "McCree - Overwatch". Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  13. ↑ Nunneley, Stephany (June 4, 2016). "Overwatch McCree guide: every gunslinging move explained". VG247. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 Marshall, Cass (August 12, 2016). "What Makes Overwatch's McCree So Hard to Balance?". Red Bull. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  15. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (July 27, 2016). "Overwatch patch buffs Ana, nerfs McCree again after the buff on his last nerf". VG247. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  16. ↑ Bratt, Chris (June 7, 2016). "Overwatch: Blizzard answers the big questions". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  17. ↑ Knoop, Joseph (May 21, 2021). "Every Overwatch character, ranked". The Daily Dot. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  18. ↑ Margini, Matt (May 2020). "Cowboy". Red Dead Redemption. Boss Fight Books. ISBN 9781940535241.
  19. ↑ Marshall, Cass (October 17, 2018). "McCree's Wild West sensibilities make him Overwatch's best hero". Heroes Never Die. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  20. ↑ Priestman, Chris (August 12, 2016). "Who you kidding? McCree is Overwatch's true shooter". Kill Screen. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  21. ↑ Grebey, James (May 25, 2017). "Here Are the Most-Shipped 'Overwatch' Characters on Tumblr". Inverse. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  22. ↑ Jackson, Gita (May 25, 2017). "The Biggest Overwatch 'Ships, According To Tumblr Data". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  23. ↑ Jackson, Gita (December 24, 2017). "The Year In Ships, 2017". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on April 7, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  24. ↑ Manente, Kristina (February 24, 2019). "Read This Fanfiction: Black Panther and Shuri meet Spider-Man". Syfy Wire. Syfy. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  25. ↑ Manente, Kristina (June 30, 2019). "Queer Avengers, Star Wars and Good Omens stories help celebrate Pride". Syfy Wire. Syfy. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  26. ↑ Marshall, Cass (November 17, 2017). "A McHanzo controversy raises questions about Overwatch fan communities". Heroes Never Die. Vox Media. Archived from the original on March 16, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  27. ↑ McRae, Danielle; Fitzgerald, Erin (November 24, 2016). Episode 5: It’s High Noon with Matt Mercer. Waifus of Overwatch (Podcast). Event occurs at 13:10. Archived from the original on February 26, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  28. ↑ Bailey, Dustin (November 4, 2017). "Jeff Kaplan's favorite Overwatch couples are Pharmercy and McHanzo". PCGamesN. Network N. Archived from the original on November 4, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  29. ↑ Grayson, Nathan (November 7, 2017). "Jeff Kaplan's Favorite Overwatch Ships". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on May 18, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
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