Call of Duty renames controversial MW2 Operator

With the release of Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 Season 4 back on June 14, Activision revealed a bunch of Operator skins that would be coming to the game.

Out of all of them, the anime-style 'Izanami' skin got the most attention as it was by far the most eye-catching, colourful and flashy. As a result, a lot of the community claimed the design didn't fit the military theme of CoD and felt it would be out of place.

Shortly after this, players pointed out another problem with the cosmetic that involved its name, which is extremely offensive when spelt backwards. In response to the backlash, the devs have changed the skin's name ahead of its upcoming release.

CoD devs change renames MW2 skin after backlash

As reported by CharlieINTEL on Twitter, the anime-style 'Izanami' bundle was recently renamed by the devs after backlash from players. The community pointed out that when spelt backwards, the name is incredibly offensive and needed to be addressed.

In case you haven't worked it out, 'Izanami' backwards is "I'm a Nazi." In a game that has trod a fine line with the use of offensive symbolism, we're sure the devs didn't realise what they were doing with this anime-themed skin, but still, it's surprising it got past so many people without it being picked up. 

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It's worth noting that 'Izanami' is the deity of creation and death in Japanese mythology, so this is likely where the devs got the inspiration for the name.

Now, the anime cosmetic has now been changed to Izzy, and while fans are pleased the devs took action, a lot of players still believe the skin doesn't fit the CoD theme. Then again, in a franchise that is becoming increasingly outlandish and even has a Crash Bandicoot crossover, realism is out of the window.

When does the anime Izzy skin release in MW2 & WZ2?

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The official release date for the Izzy skin in MW2 & Warzone 2 is July 24, 2023.

Given the extra controversy around it in terms of the way she looks and what she used to be called, we'll expect her to be flying out of the store as players want to take a look at what all the fuss is about.

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You might remember the previous controversy with the Hear No Evil Tracer Pack, as there were worries a gorilla-themed Operator skin would lead to racism.

With Izzy on the way soon, it means players won't have to wait long if they're keen on getting an anime-style cosmetic. It'll be interesting to see how popular the skin is after the name controversy and backlash about its design.