Australians don’t get represented in video games all that often. And when they do, it’s usually either with a strong ocker stereotype (looking at you, Sniper), or through levels built on the whole “sunburnt country” aesthetic.
But when a dose of Australiana does appear in a video game, it is appreciated. Even when a whole bunch of Americanisms are left in.
Ubisoft’s multiplayer shooter is getting two Australian operators this week, the ginger-haired Mozzie and Central Queensland “farm girl” Gridlock. More aptly, the operation is also adding the Outback level, a medium-sized level set in that part of Australia nobody actually wants to live in because it’s too bloody hot. The map is live now on the Siege test server.
Fortunately, the map’s filled with “unexpected corners and souvenirs from the Great Southern Land” according to Ubisoft. Influencers and local journos who played a test build of Outback, however, immediately started pointing out that many of the “Australianisms” were actually Americanisms, and began pointing them out to the developers.
But the promotional material that went out this morning didn’t include the latest fixes, allowing everyone to take the piss a little at all the signs and references that had to be changed. Enter stage right long-time Aussie gaming journo and Red Bull editor Joab Gilroy, who showed his affection by chronicling everything that was left out:
Colour is spelled with a U you flaming drongos. Also this sign is on some don’t dead open inside shit pic.twitter.com/7oeSXaIIqf
— Joab Gilroy (@Joabyjojo) February 17, 2019
One of the more egregious oversights – and one that’s been fixed in the final build of the game – was the part where Australia hasn’t used miles since the ’80s:
We don’t measure things by miles and if it’s too bloody hot and there’s red dirt everywhere you’re already deep in the outback mate. Shit if you’re 5 minutes North or West of Parramatta you’re in the outback cobber pic.twitter.com/o5PbLgszMa
— Joab Gilroy (@Joabyjojo) February 17, 2019
There’s a sign in the roadhouse that says “next 5km”, so it’s not a complete miss across the board. The same happens with a kangaroo statue outdoors that says “last chance gas”, even though someone made sure a sign indoors says “petrol”. That’s also been corrected in the final version, according to people who attended the recent R6 Invitational.
Speaking of kangaroos – and $19 for a combo meal out in the bush is some supreme bullshit, by the way – five bucks if you can find anyone outside of a hipster cafe in Melbourne or Sydney spelling kangaroo this way:
Kangourou. It’s French for yum! pic.twitter.com/EgEpuL4UQI
— Joab Gilroy (@Joabyjojo) February 17, 2019
No word on whether that’s been fixed up in the final build.
The Operation itself been warmly welcomed from the R6 Siege community, especially for the clarity around the yearly roadmap and the introduction to “reverse friendly fire”. A suite of changes to ranked and casual play were also announced, as well as the introduction of a pick and ban system that’s been seen in other MOBAs and some shooters.
A full breakdown of the changes in the upcoming patch, as well as more details on the R6 Siege roadmap for the rest of the year, can be found here.
Update: A member of Ubisoft Australia’s local team has noted that all of the Americanisms will be fixed in time for the map’s full launch, with some of the oversights having already been corrected in a non-public build (as some journos noted above).
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