IRVINE, Calif. — Following the announcement of Overwatch Classic, the limited time event in the 6v6 hero shooter Overwatch 2, Blizzard Entertainment announced that the popular character Tracer will not be openly gay for the event.
“Tracer is an essential part of the legacy of Overwatch, and we wanted to give fans the opportunity to see her before she was openly a lesbian,” said Blizzard representative Chase Smith. “We’re excited to harken back to the original days of Overwatch eight years ago, with a cast of colorful characters without defined sexualities.”
“Tracer came out back when Overwatch was popular and everyone loved Blizzard,” Smith continued. “Hopefully when we have her come out again, the relevance and goodwill will also come out with her.”
Fans of Overwatch had mixed reactions to this news, although they are excited for Tracer to come back out of the closet at the end of the event.
“I remember how big of a deal it was when Tracer first came out,” says Tumblr user calverycome665. “It was exciting to see such a prominent character be open about their sexuality. It wasn’t as common back then, as opposed to nowadays when every action hero is on the bisexuality spectrum until the owner of the IP gets even a whiff of pushback from reactionary douchebags. I’m sure that’s not what’s happening here, though.”
Other gamers are concerned with how this closeting will affect Tracer’s performance in competitive play.
“Currently Tracer is a strong damage unit, with some players attributing to her confidence and security in her identity,” says e-sports commentator Marko Lane. “However, for the Overwatch Classic event, she might be better used as a support unit, like a college sophomore who doesn’t realize why most of her friends are queer.”
Blizzard is considering taking other actions to evoke Overwatch back at its launch, such as temporarily giving Cole Cassity his original name back.
