'Overwatch' reveals its first LGBTQ hero
Overwatch has always had a diverse cast of characters that bring life and color to the otherwise monochrome and monotonous first-person shooter genre. It was only a matter of time before one of its lovable characters was revealed to be queer.
Tracer, the speedy, time-shifting gunner who is always a nuisance to enemies, has a story in the latest digital Overwatch comic, "Reflections," which shows the hero kissing another woman -- Emily.
The Overwatch comics don't technically have any bearing on the game itself, but provide all the backstory that makes the games' playable heroes so interesting.
While Emily is not a part of the main cast of heroes in Overwatch, she does appear to be dating Tracer, which makes her a pretty big part of the game's universe. She even attends a Christmas gathering held by Winston -- the hyper-intelligent gorilla hero -- later in the comic.
Blizzard revealed to Kotaku in November that one of the characters in Overwatch identified as gay but didn't say which one, leaving fans wondering. Overwatch artist Rachel Day said the team is purposefully making the game diverse.
"We’re here to build a very diverse game," Day told Kotaku. "We’re looking globally, we’re looking for all different kinds of people, different body types, all of that. Maybe we’re not telling any romantic stories at the moment, but it’s a possibility for the future for sure. I don’t think that we’d want to exclude anybody from that kind of interaction."
Tracer is a bold pick -- she's the most prominent character in the game, starring on the game's box art, leading players through the tutorial at the beginning of the game, and featured on the logo of the upcoming Overwatch League -- Blizzard's big push into Overwatch esports.
Let the fan fictions begin.
