Video credit: u / Eidolon_Alpha
The "OK" gesture was an emote that your character could do on Modern Warfare. Funny when players made an epic play, but above all it was a communication tool for people who liked to express themselves during a match.
Originally, this gesture is used in scuba diving to say that "all is well." This emote didn't mean much, because as said just above, it seems harmless and completely harmless. However, that is not what the United States and the fight against racism think.
2019 - The American Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Strikes Back
The ADL points the finger at the emoji as well as the gesture "OK" which is very common in social networks, because it would be a white supremacist sign. What we think is "OK" would actually mean "White Power".
Following the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, Infinity Ward and Activision rallied to the cause and cracked down on racist nicknames and text chat within the game. As a result, the "OK" emote could not no longer have a place in the game, even if it is considered a harmless sign for many people. We think it was better to delete it in order to avoid racist outbursts with the use of this emote.
"OK", become a sign of hatred
This gesture is now used for racist purposes by the neo-Nazi community, the Ku Klux Klan as well as white nationalists according to the New York Times . The ADL therefore this sign to be a symbol of hatred which is henceforth a sincere expression of white supremacy. According to the newspaper 20minutes , it would seem that this sign was born on the 4chan site following a joke of bad taste which was obviously taken literally.
Following the events in 2019, it is possible to see figures close to the far right or terrorists using this sign. It was therefore important for Activision and Infinity Ward to remove this sign so as not to convey any hateful sign towards the community.
An Overwatch League spectator received a warning following the use of the "OK" gesture at a live event.
Infinity Ward announced details surrounding upcoming bug fixes along with details as to when the next update will go live.
