Hitman dev pulls MMA star Conor McGregor from game after sexual assault ruling

Hitman dev pulls MMA star Conor McGregor from game after sexual assault ruling

Hitman developer IO Interactive is pulling content related to mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor from Hitman World of Assassination in response to a court ruling that found the former UFC star liable for sexual assault.

McGregor appeared in Hitman as part of an Elusive Target mission that launched in June. He returned to the game on Nov. 15, as part of a limited-time event that was planned to run through Dec. 8. Players were tasked with slaying McGregor’s character, known as The Disruptor, as he prepares for an MMA fight.

“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,” the developer said in a post on social media. “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.”

McGregor was found liable of sexual assault in a civil trial in Dublin on Nov. 22. He had previously been accused of rape and sexual assault in 2018, and had been the subject of a criminal investigation, though he hadn’t been formally charged by law enforcement. McGregor has been accused of assault by multiple women. McGregor will pay about $250,000 in damages to his accuser.

IO Interactive has already pulled the $4.99 Disruptor DLC from console stores and the Epic Games Store. The pack is still listed on Steam as of the time of this writing.

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