In light of the revelations made in the recently-filed lawsuit by the State of California against Activision Blizzard regarding a pervasive atmosphere of "frat-boy culture" and systemic discrimination and harassment of women working within the company, in particular and most egregiously by former senior developer, Alex Afrasiabi, that any and all mentions/easter eggs dedicated to Afrasiabi be immediately replaced with suitable, more fitting tributes to members of the community that are not sexual predators.
More specifically, this petition seeks to replace the "Field Marshall Afrasiabi" NPC found in Stormwind with a tribute to a well-beloved member of the World of Warcraft community who sadly passed due to complications of Covid-19 late in 2020, Jarod Nandin.
Jarod was a constant and positive presence within the community where he was best known for cosplaying the "That which has no life" character from the World of Warcraft episode of Southpark. Jarod's depiction of this character was simply another example of his advocacy for positive body image within the Warcraft and Cosplay community. To those who knew him, he was a fierce and fearless defender of women, POC, and other discriminated-against minorities within the gaming community. Jarod's heart and soul were more courageous and deserving of a place within Stormwind's famed "Valley of Heroes" than Alex Afrasiabi any day. Due to Covid restrictions, his friends and mother, who also still plays Warcraft, held an in-game memorial service for Jarod in Stormwind at Lion's Rest earlier this year. It was well-attended and the stories shared of his life and impact on others only further exemplified the force for good that Jarod was in life and continues to be in the memories of all who knew him.
Please remove the NPC tribute to a repeat sexual predator and replace it with a tribute to someone deserving to always be known as a hero, Jarod Nandin.
There is no guarantee that the WoW development team will see or be influenced by this petition, but should this get enough support, it very well could influence the change we all want to see. Those who knew Jarod well, including many within the Blizzard development community, have been seeking a way to include a proper and permanent tribute to Jarod in-game. This is quite possibly the best and most fitting solution to that desire. Let our collective voices guide their actions!
As of this posting, the NPC "Field Marshall Afrasiabi" has been removed from the game and replaced with an NPC named "Field Marshall Stonebridge", a woman, which is very fitting. I know Jarod would agree with that choice but also be incredibly humbled and joyous to see the outpouring of support for this petition as well. Thank you all for supporting this idea. Hopefully, we will find a way to commemorate him in-game soon.
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