Overwatch 2 may not have much left for him, but he still has his lore. Since the beginnings of FPS competitive, the developers have focused on inclusion with the Hero of the game, like the homosexuality of Trace And Soldier: 76 or the pansexuality of Vital. And for the first time, Blizzard will finally celebrate Pride Month in Overwatch 2.
From June 1, players will be able to discover flag-colored player icons and banners LGBTQIA+. By the way, Blizzard announces that two characters, namely Baptist And Pharahare also homosexualand declares:
Prides will soon be in the spotlight in Overwatch 2!
For millions of gamers around the world, Overwatch 2 offers enjoyable moments of escape. We have always been committed to creating a futuristic world worth fighting for, where everyone can feel represented and appreciated. To be worthy of this optimistic future, our game must allow everyone to identify with its characters and recognize themselves in its universe.
This is what we want pride to represent for our players. And, just as importantly, it’s also what we want for ourselves. Members of our community and the Overwatch team have told us that seeing themselves represented in the game over the years has helped them find the strength and courage to show themselves to the world as they are. are. Our development team is diverse, and we want the universe we create, the one in which we invest all our passion and energy, to correspond to us and represent a world in which we would like to live. What we build is an extension of ourselves.
One of the fundamental ambitions of Overwatch 2 is to allow everyone to find a way to play that suits them by choosing from different roles, diverse play styles and varied characters. We want Overwatch 2 players to be able to proudly express their identity outside of games too. Certain decorative objects, such as profile icons and business cards, offer a means of expression for those who wish to feel represented in our universe.
Starting June 1, all players who log into Overwatch 2 will receive a collection of profile icons and business cards created in honor of the many identities that make up our fantastic community.
Calling cards allow you to express your in-game identity, and you’ll notice that some are dedicated to our LGBTQ+ characters. You will find Tracer’s Lesbian Pride, Soldier’s Gay Pride: 76, Vital’s Pansexual Pride, but also Baptiste’s Bisexual Pride and Pharah’s Lesbian Pride cards. The community has been speculating about Baptiste and Pharah’s sexual orientation for years, and the team is thrilled to dedicate some of these items to them as well asan unprecedented news which comes back to their identity, their relationship to each other and their relationship to themselves.
We find it wonderful how Pride Month allows everyone to express their true identity, and we want not only that you can celebrate it, but also that this event be integrated into the universe of Overwatch. In honor of what this event means to so many, and in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots that inspired this annual celebration, throughout the month of June you will be able to play on a redesigned Midtown map to represent a moment just after an extraordinary pride parade. On the Observatory: Gibraltar map, you’ll also find a new photo in the neighborhoods that Tracer shares with his partner Emily (this photo will also be available as a tag for Tracer). We hope that these additions will allow those who have always wanted to participate in the Pride Marches without having the possibility to feel a little closer to these events.
You may be wondering, “Why now? We love our characters and their stories, and in developing Overwatch 2 to include the narrative elements of future PvE, we realized we still had a lot to tell about the identities and relationships of our heroes and heroines. With this first Pride event in Overwatch 2, we wanted to celebrate the diversity of a world that is worth fighting for. And that’s just the beginning ! Over the coming seasons and years, we’ll have more to bring to you as the Overwatch universe expands.
Beyond the game, Pride is an opportunity for us to thank and support the LGBTQ+ community. We invite you to visit the Blizzard Gear Store to browse a wide selection of Pride-themed merchandise, curated by Blizzard’s LGBT+ employee network. Net proceeds* collected by Blizzard from sales made between May 16 and June 30, 2023 will be donated to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). NCTE’s mission perfectly reflects what we hope to achieve by imagining a better world in the Overwatch universe: “The National Center for Transgender Equality strives to change politics and society so that transgender people are better understood and accepted. In the capital of the United States and in the rest of the country, the NCTE works to ensure that empathy, equal opportunity and justice replace disrespect, discrimination and violence. »
There’s something powerful about ensuring the game and its community are welcoming to everyone, and we want to harness that strength so that all of our players feel accepted and supported alongside Tracer. Soldier: 76, Baptiste, Pharah, Vital and all other characters. The world is worth fighting for, and to quote Vital, “our strengths intertwine”. It is an honor to fight alongside you.
Cordially,
The Overwatch Team
*Blizzard will donate the net proceeds that Blizzard receives from the operator of the Blizzard Online Store.
You can find all the new ornamental items on the official website ofOverwatchthey will be automatically available from June 1st in the game on PC, playstation, Xbox and Switch, as well as a new tag with Lena Oxton And Emily. Overwatch 2 is available in free-to-playyou can find prepaid cards Battle.net at the house of Micromania.
Read also: Overwatch 2: the PvE cooperative mode is canceled, Blizzard explains and details its roadmap for 2023
| Clint008 Writer – Tester |
