Hitman Dev Drops Conor McGregor Content After Court Ruling: ‘Cannot ignore its implications.’
IO Interactive, the developer of the Hitman video game series, is cutting ties with MMA fighter Conor McGregor after he was found guilty in a civil court of sexual assault.
IO Interactive Cuts Ties with Conor McGregor
Recently, former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor was found guilty in a civil court of sexual assault and ordered to pay €248,000 in damages. The decision means all game content featuring McGregor, including a character called “The Disruptor” with his voice and likeness, will no longer be sold. Players who already purchased the content can still use it, but it’s unclear if refunds or future changes to the content will happen.
The company issued a statement on social media:
“In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately. We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today.“
The Disruptor was added earlier this year and was part of special missions in Hitman: World of Assassination. Some fans expressed mixed reactions, with a few wanting the DLC to stay for the purpose of “punishing” the character in-game. IO Interactive, however, emphasized that it doesn’t want to be associated with Conor McGregor after the court ruling. The studio is currently focused on other projects, including a new James Bond game.
