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Overwatch Confirmed Two Of Its Characters Are Queer Just in Time For Pride
The short story "As You Are" introduces two more queer heroes to the Overwatch world.
Overwatch is one of the biggest video games in the world — and it just got a little more inclusive for Pride.
The popular game from Blizzard Entertainment is known for its large roster of playable characters, and now, two more of them have been confirmed to be members of the LGBTQ+ community in a newly-released short story.
In the story, entitled “As You Are,” Baptiste and Pharah are traveling together with cowboy Cole Cassidy. When Baptiste notices that Pharah and Cassidy are close, he asks if they’re together. After laughing, Pharah responds by saying they’re just friends.
“No, definitely not,” she says. “Cole and I have known each other for a long time. He’s like a brother to me. And besides, I’m a lesbian.”
At first, Pharah apologizes for disappointing Baptiste, thinking he asked to find out if she was available. But then, she realizes he was asking about Cassidy and not her.
“Well, I must admit he has a certain charm,” Baptiste responds. “I like a person who’s sure of themself.”
\u201cIntroducing \u201cAs You Are\u201d, a new short story about identity, love, and friendship starring Baptiste & Pharah \ud83e\udde1\ud83d\udc99\n\nRead it here \ud83d\udcd6 https://t.co/Q6KpWaSxtz\u201d— Overwatch (@Overwatch) 1685470960
Phara and Baptiste aren’t the first Overwatch characters to be confirmed gay. In a 2016 comic, Tracer, one of the game’s flagship heroes, was confirmed to be a lesbian, and a few years later, Soldier 76 had a short story that revealed he was gay. A recently added character, Lifeweaver, was confirmed to be pansexual by lead narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie.
“As You Are” was written by Jen Stacey and features a beautiful illustration of the two queer heroes by Hannah Templer.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
Mey Rude is a journalist and cultural critic who has been covering queer news for a decade. The transgender, Latina lesbian lives in Los Angeles with her fiancée.
