"Maddie" still appearing in Halo 3 Recon
But has nothing to do with missing girl.
Bungie has said a character called Maddie could "potentially" feature in the new Halo 3 expansion pack - but confirmed there's no connection with missing five year-old Madeleine McCann.
Controversy kicked off last month after a trailer for what's now known to be Halo 3 Recon featured the message, "Maddie, where are you?"
Speaking to Eurogamer at the Tokyo Game Show, Bungie writer Luke Smith described the incident as an "unfortunate coincidence", adding, "Because of that coincidence, we've pulled that slide."
However, said PR and community manager Brian Jarrard, the content of the expansion pack will not be changed. "We're not altering the game, the fiction, the story or the script," he stated.
"There will potentially be a character named Maddie that has something to do with our game, but just to respect the sensitivities around this issue... I mean, I've read the Eurogamer forums. I've seen how polarised with this issue.
"It was regrettable," he continued, "But hopefully it's behind us. Next time people might want to do a bit more diligence." A bit more Googling, perhaps? "Yeah, maybe."
Halo 3 Recon is down for a release in autumn 2009. For more from Bungie, including what we can expect and why it'll probably cost more than a tenner, read the full interview.