For the first time in the history of the series, Overwatch 2 is set to honor Pride month, starting from the 1st of June. The event will highlight inclusivity and diversity with a series of meaningful updates that extend beyond aesthetics. Two of the game’s existing maps, Midtown and Watchpoint: Gibraltar, are slated to undergo significant transformations.
Starting from the first day of June, players navigating the Midtown map will find themselves immersed in a city basking in the aftermath of a Pride parade. The map will be adorned with rainbow-colored confetti and signs championing inclusivity, lending a festive air to the entire layout.
Watchpoint: Gibraltar will be getting a subtler but equally profound update. Tracer, one of the game’s characters, will have a picture of her and her partner, Emily, displayed in the barracks. This intimate snapshot will also be accessible as a spray for Tracer.
Empowering Players to Express Themselves
In line with the spirit of Pride month, the event will usher in permanent icons and name cards. These features will empower players to express their identities unabashedly during gameplay.
The range of identities represented by the cards and icons is vast, encompassing Agender, Aromantic, Asexual, Bisexual, Gay, Genderfluid, Intersex, Lesbian, Non-binary, Pansexual, and Transsexual individuals.
Overwatch 2 isn’t limiting the celebration to the game’s confines. The team has also provided a link to Blizzard’s Pride month collection, which offers an array of merchandise. Notably, all net proceeds from sales between May 16 and June 30 will be directed to the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Diving Deeper into Character Identities
In an engaging departure from the main game, a new short story titled “As You Are” centers on Baptiste. The narrative features a heartfelt dialogue between Pharah and Baptiste and can be read on the Overwatch 2 media hub.
The Overwatch 2 team used a blog post to address why they chose this moment to celebrate Pride in-game. The post emphasized the team’s love for the characters and their stories. With the upcoming expansion of the Overwatch 2 experience to include Player versus Environment (PvE) lore, the team realized the potential for deeper exploration of character identities and relationships.
In a group interview with GameSpot and various media outlets, three core members of the Overwatch 2 team—Senior Narrative Designer Jen Stacey, Senior Game Producer Brandy Stiles, and Game Director Aaron Keller—reinforced this sentiment.
They revealed plans to focus on “every facet” of the game’s characters in the future. This focus includes revisiting older characters to unveil aspects of their identities that may have been overlooked.
The commitment to diversity and inclusion in Overwatch 2, according to Stacey, extends to “thinking about [characters] as a whole person and every facet of them, including their identities.” Game Director Aaron Keller further emphasized this by expressing the team’s intent for LGBTQ+ representation to be a key element of the diversity in the game.
In sum, the forthcoming Overwatch 2 Pride event promises to be a significant step towards enhancing representation and celebrating the diversity that makes the game and its community truly vibrant.
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