Consider the Following: Prostate Cancer Reinhardt

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If Pink Mercy’s not coming back, how about a new charity skin for a cause that rather less people know about but needs awareness raised for it?
I won’t lie, I’ve got a bit of a personal stake in this one since someone who matters greatly to me has not long been cleared of treatment for prostate cancer and, after some research into prostate cancer charities and foundations, I’ve realised just how egregious the lack of awareness and charitable resources is for prostate cancer despite how prevalent it is.

Prostate cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in the world and apparently goes direly under-reported compared to the three more common types (colorectal, lung or breast cancer). Prostate cancer receives less than half the funding of breast cancer research, but apparently the biggest danger of prostate cancer comes from not reporting it due to ignorance, wilful or otherwise, of the symptoms. As a result, prostate cancer goes under-reported and comparatively underfunded.

Prostate Cancer UK started the Sledgehammer Fund in 2013 to kick off a wider awareness and fundraising campaign that has carried on to this day. I’d like to see the issue of prostate cancer brought somewhere it can get the attention it deserves: what could be a better way to do that than a charity skin in the spirit of Pink Mercy to raise money for a good cause and spread awareness of how important it is to be aware of symptoms and unafraid to see a doctor to Overwatch’s predominantly male playerbase.

Which is what brings me to Reinhardt in particular. As well as the imagery associated with the above Sledgehammer Fund, Reinhardt’s a fan favourite of large chunks of the player base, ensuring the skin would sell relatively well compared to a less beloved hero like Sigma or Torb getting the skin. Additionally, something about one of the most stereotypically masculine (in all the best, most heroic ways) heroes getting a skin to raise awareness for a cancer that affects men and many men don’t take seriously just sits right with me: it’s not manly to ignore potential cancer symptoms because “it’s probably nothing” or “I can live with it”. I know it sounds obvious now but a lot of men end up having to deal with the cancer at a later stage than they should have to because they write off the symptoms.

Think about it: Rein clad in the black, blue and white of Prostate Cancer UK (I can’t find a dedicated charity or organisation in America with a bigger platform than PCUK, plus their colour scheme is rad). Maybe matt black armour with a white trim and stained glass blue plates as a spot colour, with a faceless Thor-like helmet and a new winged design for his hammer. Could look really sick and provide a new prestigious charity skin without bringing back Pink Mercy and thus maintaining its promised exclusivity.

Thoughts?

50 Likes

I’d buy it. 100%.

Thought I fear because it’s a mens issue it will get swept under the rug like most other issues we have. But it would be really neat if it doesn’t, I’ll do what I did for the mercy skin event, buy me and a few friends the skin with the gift button because I support the crap out of people not dying.

25 Likes

I feel a McCree skin would sell better because he is basically the male Mercy.

7 Likes

I share that fear, and that’s exactly why it needs to be brought to the forefront in a big public event just like this one.

1 Like

:white_check_mark: Gets my vote. Men get cancer too.

5 Likes

In what way is he a “male Mercy” under any stretch of an interpretation?

A Genji skin would sell best. Sure, I’m personally biased towards the character, but let’s not act like he isn’t a major draw regardless.

5 Likes

I know you mean well but I don’t want the game to become so tied to the real world. I don’t want to have “sickness/condition X of the month” I play the game to escape reality, not be reminded about its pains like that

Pink Mercy was great but I hope it stays a one off thing, I don’t want Blizz to feel like they have to be the representatives for all sicknesses, conditions, religions, gender identities, sexualities in the world, I just want them to make a cartoony hero shooter

2 Likes

That’s a legitimate feeling and I respect that. I just thought of this after seeing posts about bringing back Pink Mercy and it got me thinking: this is still on the thoughts of the playerbase despite Pink Mercy being a year and a half ago, and Blizz is making skins like Brick Bastion for one-offs so they’re clearly no more opposed to making one-off limited-run skins than they were back then.
Clearly the player base still has Pink Mercy on their radar a year and a half after the event was over and it was a genuinely brilliant thing for Blizz to have done, I don’t see why something similar can’t happen again, especially with one-off skins like Combat Medic Baptiste, Dr Ziegler and Brick Bastion becoming more regular.

Do you have the same objections to Brick Bastion and Blizz’s tie-in with LEGO? Is that also too “tied to the real world” for you? I’m not trying to sound accusatory, genuinely just interested.

2 Likes

The highest pick rate or whatever. People playing them even when they are complete garbage. He has a ton of skins because they know people will buy lootboxes for McCree junk. He has the most number of items for the males.

1 Like

The fact, that we had a charity skin for breast cancer, when females are by far the minority playerbase in this genre and in gaming in general still, all the while mens cancers affect equally many men as female cancers do females. It is astounding how mens cancer research, receives about 1/10th or less funding, all the while even the places that foster insane majorities of men somehow still raise funds or make ideas to rasie funds for issues and it is never related to them. Despite this men are still generous enough to always do it without complaining, when the other way around it is often raised as a concern.

I would get it as well.

I would get it, I think its a good idea.

Unfortunately in this culture when men are injured its just considered funny.

Upsettingly true. But in the end of the day I guess the squeaky wheel gets the grease, we are just too quiet in comparison.

It’s not a men’s only issue. Prostate cancer affects both sexes, although it is rare in women.

2 Likes

Still predominantly a mens issue just like men can get breast cancer but it’s predominantly a female issue, not trying to say its a mens only issue.

1 Like

I would like to see this type of charity event.

Heck yes you better believe I would support and instantly donate to this.

Blizzard says no because prostate cancer isn’t that “marketable”

1 Like

Yes but not Reinhardt

What about a Zen skin to promote prostate cancer awareness? Since he has 9 round things floating around him lol.