Ubisoft to patch out controversial podcaster and says it "deeply regrets" hurt caused by her inclusion

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"We understand this collaboration itself may be seen as offensive and we deeply regret any hurt this has caused"

Watch Dogs Legion photograph evidence
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Ubisoft will patch out the voice work of a British journalist in Watch Dogs: Legion after the developer was "made aware of controversial remarks".

After fans took to forums and social media to complain about the inclusion of journalist Helen Lewis – who appears on two fictional podcasts available in vehicles as you drive throughout the city – Ubisoft said because it had "worked with an external producer to select speaker profiles for these podcasts", it was "not aware of the controversy at the time of booking or recording".

"We were made aware of controversial remarks from a journalist whose voice-over performance appears in two in-game podcasts in Watch Dogs: Legion," a Ubisoft spokesperson told Kotaku. “Neither Ubisoft nor the game reflect this journalist’s viewpoints.

"The development team worked with an external producer to select speaker profiles for these podcasts and were not aware of the controversy at the time of booking or recording. While the in-game podcasters are following a pre-approved script and are not speaking in their own name or with their own opinions, we understand this collaboration itself may be seen as offensive and we deeply regret any hurt this has caused. In response, we will be replacing these two podcast episodes in an upcoming update and will reinforce our background checks for partners in the future."

"Like that of Assassin's Creed's dual protagonists, I now can't imagine the Watch Dogs series without its Play as Anyone mechanic, which feels like a feature the franchise was always made for," we said in the GamesRadar+ Watch Dogs Legion review. 

"Despite the deficiencies that underscore both its storytelling and gameplay, Legion thus represents an aspiring, albeit somewhat clumsy, step forward for the series at large. If a continued pivot towards dystopianism is what's needed to inspire Ubisoft to keep refining and honing its new APC formula for Watch Dogs' future, then I say bring on the end of the world as we know it."

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Vikki Blake
Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.