‘Overwatch 2’ Celebrates First Pride Event Featuring Pharah And Baptiste

Pride Month is here, and plenty of titles have shown their support, including Overwatch 2, which will host its first in-game Pride event along with with an all-new short story. Players can expect updated Pride-themed maps, as well as namecards celebrating characters that identify with different queer identities.

The event will see Pride-themed maps with rainbow street crossings and confetti in an updated Midtown map, as well as a shot of lesbian hero Tracer and her partner Emily in the Watchpoint: Gibraltar map (it’ll be added as a spray too)!

You can read the short story online, titled As You Are, set after Baptiste’s defection from Talon and during an ongoing mission with Cassidy, Baptiste, and Pharah, which sees Pharah coming out to Baptiste and identifying as a lesbian, as well as having some tension with Mercy being revealed in exposition. While it isn’t confirmed, there’s a small implication that Baptiste seems to be attracted to men, admitting that gunslinger Cole Cassidy has a “certain charm”.

Apart from Tracer, Pharah, and Baptiste, fan favourite character Soldier 76 also identifies as gay, and Lifeweaver identifies as pansexual. These characters will also get Pride-themed name cards based on their in-game sexualities, and players will get to choose player icons from a wide range of LGBTQ+ flags.

For many long-time and new fans, celebrating diversity and queer identities is a step in the right direction, as Overwatch 2 holds its first official Pride in-game celebration. Narrative designer, Jen Stacey has confirmed that there’s more in store down the road, with “voice lines where characters’ sexualities and identities come up in the game planned.”

“We want it to feel like the game is reflecting what’s happening in the real world. We do it for Halloween. We do it for Lunar New Year, too,” affirms game director Aaron Keller in an interview. “It’s important to carry this forward for Pride as well.”