diff --git a/Plugins/Battleship.pm b/Plugins/Battleship.pm
index 9d73d742..087d61d0 100644
--- a/Plugins/Battleship.pm
+++ b/Plugins/Battleship.pm
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use feature 'switch';
 no if $] >= 5.018, warnings => "experimental::smartmatch";
 
 use feature 'unicode_strings';
+use utf8;
 
 use Carp ();
 use Time::Duration qw/concise duration/;
@@ -46,8 +47,6 @@ sub initialize {
   $self->{player_two_vert}  = 'I';
   $self->{player_two_horiz} = '=';
 
-  utf8::decode $self->{player_one_horiz};
-
   $self->create_states;
 }