Remarks made by George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of the death metal band Cannibal Corpse has Blizzard reeling. The closing ceremony of this year’s BlizzCon was highlighted by Blizzard’s in-house company band Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain, with special guest Cannibal Corpse. Before playing any music however, a quick video with the band’s front man was played. While Fisher did start out singing the praises of World of Warcraft, he quickly went into a tirade against other players of the game using homophobic slurs and other colorful language choices.
Those comments have caused a bit of a stir over on the World of Warcraft forums, where many players have taken to posting their displeasure at the supposed ‘joke.’ Blizzard and the band originally fired back saying that the interview was “never intended to be taken seriously” and that they were deeply sorry about offending anyone.
That initial reaction has been supplemented by a statement directly from Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime, who has issued a personal apology for the stunt.
“Dear members of the Blizzard community,” said Morhaime in a letter to the fanbase.
“I have read your feedback and comments about this year's BlizzCon, and I have also read the feedback to the apology from Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftain. I'd like to respond to some of your feedback here.
“As president of Blizzard, I take full responsibility for everything that occurs at BlizzCon.
“It was shortsighted and insensitive to use the video at all, even in censored form. The language used in the original version, including the slurs and use of sexual orientation as an insult, is not acceptable, period. We realize now that having even an edited version at the show was counter to the standards we try to maintain in our forums and in our games. Doing so was an error in judgment, and we regret it.
“The bottom line is we deeply apologize for our mistakes and for hurting or offending anyone. We want you to have fun at our events, and we want everyone to feel welcome. We're proud to be part of a huge and diverse community, and I am proud that so many aspects of the community are represented within Blizzard itself.
“As a leader of Blizzard, and a member of the band, I truly hope you will accept my humblest apology.”
