Overwatch 2 is celebrating its first in-game Pride Month event starting this Thursday with a host of cosmetics, a couple of map changes, and a short story confirming the sexual orientation of two more characters in the hero roster. In the new As You Are short story, we listen to a conversation between Pharah and Baptiste where Pharah outright confirms she is a lesbian, and Baptiste is bisexual, with some growing feelings for Cassidy.
The Overwatch hero roster is filled with a diverse cast of characters, and since its original launch in 2016, millions of players have found characters they can relate with. Even with a lacking sense of story in the game itself, and a recent announcement of scaling back the upcoming PvE, people are enamored with the personalities in the Overwatch universe. Of course, some people may be put off by the Pride Month event following the many years of controversy coming out of Blizzard, including a diversity chart that shows how the company can tick off certain criteria to make themselves look more inclusive.
Regardless, the Overwatch team is filled with people from various backgrounds, just like the rest of us. We can truly appreciate a lineup of diverse heroes from all over the world embracing who they are as people. To this point, here is the list of confirmed LGBTQ+ characters in Overwatch 2:
- Baptiste – bisexual
- Lifeweaver – pansexual
- Pharah – lesbian
- Soldier: 76 – gay
- Tracer – lesbian
Among the in-game changes going live for Pride Month are a long list of name cards and profile icons that let you show off your orientation proudly. The New York map, Midtown, has also been altered to take place following a pride parade, and a new photo of Tracer with her girlfriend Emily is found in Watchpoint: Gibraltar. That photo is also added as a new spray for the character.
Finally, Blizzard is running merchandise in the Blizzard Gear Store to celebrate Pride Month. If you feel like purchasing anything, net proceeds will go to the National Center for Transgender Equality. Overwatch 2 Pride Month looks to be a great celebration of the LGBTQ+ community within and outside of the game.
