Conor McGregor‘s empire is dealing with the fallout from being found liable for sexual assault. Barely a week after the ruling, a major gaming brand has ended its partnership with the former UFC champion.
On Monday, IO Interactive, the developer behind the famous video game Hitman, announced the end of their collaboration with McGregor. The company announced its decision to distance itself from the Mixed Martial Artist on X. “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 statement began. The Danish company noted that they take matters of such severity “very seriously” and “cannot ignore its implications.” As a result, they will remove all content featuring McGregor from their storefront starting from November 25.
The move comes just three days after a civil court jury in Ireland believed Nikita Hand’s accusations against the champion. Hand accused McGregor of “brutally raping and battering” her at a hotel in Dublin on December 9, 2018. The incident, she claimed during her testimony, left her with heavy PTSD. Although McGregor maintained his innocence, the jury found him liable after six hours of deliberation. Per Guardian, They ordered the disgraced fighter to pay Hand nearly €250,000 ($257,000) in damages.
Fans React To Conor McGregor Removal From Hitman Game
Earlier this year, the 39-year-old was introduced the the game as a target in a Hitman: World of Assassination DLC. His character, The Disruptor — a multi-billionaire MMA star, was to be taken out by Agent 47. Following IO Interactive’s announcement, fans gave mixed reactions. Some praised the company for supporting sexual assault victims.
“Great decision. I wish the UFC would do the same,” one fan wrote.
“About time! Obviously, should never have done it, to begin with,” a second comment read.
“I guess you can say…Conor’s character just got assassinated…,” a third fan joked on Reddit.
“This is good. Replace him with another more deserving pick,” a fourth remark read.
Others, however, suggested there were better ways to get justice for the victim without removing McGregor.
“Why? I can’t think of a better game for him to be in. You can hunt his ass down for justice,” added one fan.
“Honestly, one could argue that sending 47 after him is rather fitting… That being said, I’m not surprised,” another comment read.
“That sucks. The whole objective of the DLC was to kill him. What’s wrong with that?” questioned a disappointed user.
The former MMIA champion has yet to comment on the decision. He, however, vowed to appeal the case’s ruling in an angry statement on X. “We are not done yet. Not by a long shot. No chance. On we fight! Justice and truth will prevail! Appeal,” he wrote.
