Overwatch's Tracer revealed as gay; Blizzard won't release webcomic in Russia

[midian182]

Few video game characters have been the center of so much controversy as Overwatch’s Tracer. Earlier this year, Blizzard altered her "sexual" victory pose after a fan complained about it. Now, the latest Overwatch webcomic has revealed that the character is gay.

The Overwatch holiday comic, titled Reflections, sees Tracer racing through London in an attempt to buy a Christmas present. It’s later revealed that the gift is for her partner, who happens to be a woman. After receiving her scarf, the pair share a kiss. It’s the only part of the short story that addresses Tracer’s sexuality.

Reaction to the news has been mixed. While some have applauded Blizzard’s decision to introduce a gay character and the low-key way it was revealed, many Twitter users and those on Overwatch’s forums haven’t been as welcoming. But there are plenty of other gamers just don’t care.

Way back in 2014, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime promised that the company would introduce “more diverse heroes and content” to its games. And at BlizzCon 2015, Overwatch artistic director Bill Petras confirmed there would be a gay character in the multiplayer shooter; Chris Metzen, Blizzard Entertainment’s senior vice president of creative design and story development, said there would be more than one.

One region that isn’t happy about Tracer being a lesbian is Russia, where “gay propaganda” is illegal. A Twitter user spotted a message on the front of the comic that read:  "In accordance with Russian law we cannot share this comic with our players on territory of Russian Federation." Blizzard later confirmed that it was the company’s decision to not release the webcomic in the country.

"Blizzard decided not to publish in Russia to comply with Russian legislation," a studio representative told Eurogamer.  "We preemptively decided not to publish given the climate in Russia and Legal feedback."

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/67484-overwatch-tracer-revealed-gay-blizzard-wont-release-webcomic.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Who the hell cares if the super hero is also into a bit of bestiality on the side as well, it's just a fictional character anyway, a figment of someones imagination.

 

[stewi0001]

Blah blah blah blah.... zzz zzz zzz... Does this mean she can have her original pose now?

 

[Bubbajim]

Who the hell cares if the super hero is also into a bit of bestiality on the side as well, it's just a fictional character anyway, a figment of someones imagination.

Wait, this girl who can zip back in time isn't real?

What?!

 

[Nobina]

It's this pc bull ****. It's just a matter of time before they release transgender hero and other similar stuff. Why would anyone care about these comics in a FPS game I don't understand.

 

[davislane1]

Who the hell cares if the super hero is also into a bit of bestiality on the side as well, it's just a fictional character anyway, a figment of someones imagination.

Progressivism and "inclusivity" are about making every possible thing compliant with the normalization of progressive and social justice deviations. If you like your "cis-het" norms, you don't get to keep them. Because feelings.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Progressivism and "inclusivity" are about making every possible thing compliant with the normalization of progressive and social justice deviations. If you like your "cis-het" norms, you don't get to keep them. Because feelings.

Yup, that's true.

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

Wait, this girl who can zip back in time isn't real?

What?!

As much as I hate to be the one who breaks this bit of devastating news to you...

 

[mattfrompa]

I don't see any valid complaint for the character being gay. I haven't even seen any reference to it in gameplay, and it doesn't appear to be attached to any political agendas in the comic. There are gay people. Sometimes they will be written into a story. ***** and moan if you don't like it, but I don't see this as some kind of attack.

 

[davislane1]

I don't see any valid complaint for the character being gay. I haven't even seen any reference to it in gameplay, and it doesn't appear to be attached to any political agendas in the comic.

Then you are clearly ill-equipped to comment on the matter.

 

[mattfrompa]

Then you are clearly ill-equipped to comment on the matter.

That's a bad start to a productive conversation. I'm usually interested in your comments, but let's agree to disagree.

 

[davislane1]

Then you are clearly ill-equipped to comment on the matter.

That's a bad start to a productive conversation. I'm usually interested in your comments, but let's agree to disagree.

It's fairly straightforward. Blizzard is playing the social justice game. In a shooter of this type, there is no reason to go out of the way to make a point of a character's sexuality. (These are, after all, mere avatars in a competitive shooter with a thin veneer of context to add meaning to the chaos.) It is part of a larger effort to normalize the desired attitudes of the social justice left.

From the article itself:

"Way back in 2014, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime promised that the company would introduce “more diverse heroes and content” to its games. And at BlizzCon 2015, Overwatch artistic director Bill Petras confirmed there would be a gay character in the multiplayer shooter; Chris Metzen, Blizzard Entertainment’s senior vice president of creative design and story development, said there would be more than one."

This isn't innocent inclusivity (which itself is not about including people but establishing new norms). It is deliberate use of an entertainment medium to condition a set of attitudes demanded by the afore mentioned group.

Yes, gay people exist. But it isn't a normal behavior. Increasing the number of gay characters and thereby needlessly introducing sexuality into something that isn't normally sexual is an attempt to normalize it.

An example of this outside of the game would be the movie Bird Cage, which actually has a point. The characters aren't gay for the sake of inclusivity or "representation." It is fundamental to their story. Similar could be said of Duke Nukem, who is a caricature of the American alpha male. For the caricature to work, his sexuality must be overt.

One can even make the case that homosexuality in Dragon Age is contextually relevant because it's an actual RPG. Meaning, one may choose to role play as a homosexual.

Here, it is about little more than compliance with the narrative. And that which seeks to comply with the narrative seeks to advance it.

Ergo:

Progressivism and "inclusivity" are about making every possible thing compliant with the normalization of progressive and social justice deviations. If you like your "cis-het" norms, you don't get to keep them. Because feelings.

What you are seeing with Overwatch, and what you have seen on these forums re: Donald Trump, speech, "fake news," body image (see earlier threads concerning Tracer's original pose), or that former TS mod who said he'd have us all banned for making TS too much of a boy's club, is an on-going culture war between the social justice left and everyone else.

"Revealing" Tracer's sexuality isn't about adding depth to the character. It's about signaling which team Blizzard is on.

 

[Nobina]

It should be better if they haven't revealed it. We don't have to know their sexuality. If you care enough you can just assume it and continue your day.

 

[Kotters]

Didn't we already know Tracer was gay?

 

[Evernessince]

Then you are clearly ill-equipped to comment on the matter.

That's a bad start to a productive conversation. I'm usually interested in your comments, but let's agree to disagree.

It's fairly straightforward. Blizzard is playing the social justice game. In a shooter of this type, there is no reason to go out of the way to make a point of a character's sexuality. (These are, after all, mere avatars in a competitive shooter with a thin veneer of context to add meaning to the chaos.) It is part of a larger effort to normalize the desired attitudes of the social justice left.

From the article itself:

"Way back in 2014, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime promised that the company would introduce “more diverse heroes and content” to its games. And at BlizzCon 2015, Overwatch artistic director Bill Petras confirmed there would be a gay character in the multiplayer shooter; Chris Metzen, Blizzard Entertainment’s senior vice president of creative design and story development, said there would be more than one."

This isn't innocent inclusivity (which itself is not about including people but establishing new norms). It is deliberate use of an entertainment medium to condition a set of attitudes demanded by the afore mentioned group.

Yes, gay people exist. But it isn't a normal behavior. Increasing the number of gay characters and thereby needlessly introducing sexuality into something that isn't normally sexual is an attempt to normalize it.

An example of this outside of the game would be the movie Bird Cage, which actually has a point. The characters aren't gay for the sake of inclusivity or "representation." It is fundamental to their story. Similar could be said of Duke Nukem, who is a caricature of the American alpha male. For the caricature to work, his sexuality must be overt.

One can even make the case that homosexuality in Dragon Age is contextually relevant because it's an actual RPG. Meaning, one may choose to role play as a homosexual.

Here, it is about little more than compliance with the narrative. And that which seeks to comply with the narrative seeks to advance it.

Ergo:

Progressivism and "inclusivity" are about making every possible thing compliant with the normalization of progressive and social justice deviations. If you like your "cis-het" norms, you don't get to keep them. Because feelings.

What you are seeing with Overwatch, and what you have seen on these forums re: Donald Trump, speech, "fake news," body image (see earlier threads concerning Tracer's original pose), or that former TS mod who said he'd have us all banned for making TS too much of a boy's club, is an on-going culture war between the social justice left and everyone else.

"Revealing" Tracer's sexuality isn't about adding depth to the character. It's about signaling which team Blizzard is on.

You know, the webcomic isn't forced on players of the game. It's a completely seperate and optional experience.

"Yes, gay people exist. But it isn't a normal behavior. Increasing the number of gay characters and thereby needlessly introducing sexuality into something that isn't normally sexual is an attempt to normalize it."

Oh, you mean like Duke Nuken and Saints Row 3 needlessly introduce Hetrosexuality into their games? Double standard much. Normalize, in like people getting used to seeing gay couples? That can only be a good thing, averting your eyes and calling it not normal has only led to the demonization of anything aside from the "norm". Just look at Russia.

"What you are seeing with Overwatch, and what you have seen on these forums re: Donald Trump, speech, "fake news," body image (see earlier threads concerning Tracer's original pose), or that former TS mod who said he'd have us all banned for making TS too much of a boy's club, is an on-going culture war between the social justice left and everyone else."

No, what you are seeing is people like you who attempt to brand everything else as "not normal" and go into attack mode on anyone who disagrees with your views. You are not comfortable with anything new, even if it isn't even required or you'd never see it without specificly looking for it in article like this. Case in point

"an on-going culture war between the social justice left and everyone else"

The "social justice left" is a very small proportion of everyone on the left and Overwatch isn't an example of it. The "social justice left" you are refering to is more aggresive and would have made tracer's gay reference built into the game and not a completely optional experience. This is aside from the point that you are grossly over-generalizing both the left and the right. First, everyone on the left is not on the extreme end and second everyone on the right is not on Trump's side.

 

[davislane1]

An example of this outside of the game would be the movie Bird Cage, which actually has a point. The characters aren't gay for the sake of inclusivity or "representation." It is fundamental to their story. Similar could be said of Duke Nukem, who is a caricature of the American alpha male. For the caricature to work, his sexuality must be overt.

"Yes, gay people exist. But it isn't a normal behavior. Increasing the number of gay characters and thereby needlessly introducing sexuality into something that isn't normally sexual is an attempt to normalize it."

Oh, you mean like Duke Nuken and Saints Row 3 needlessly introduce Hetrosexuality into their games?

You are too short for the ride and dishonest to boot. Subsequent responses will be ignored.

 

[matrix86]

Well, this thread turned out just about as well as I figured it would, lol.

 

[Lionvibez]

This thread reminds me of a conversation a friend of mine had with one of his gay friends.

He basically said why do they constantly feel the need to keep pushing the gay stuff in our faces we know gay people exist.

The gay guy said it was to promote awareness, fairness and to get people out of their fear of gays/lesbians

His response was so when do we get a straight parade?

The conversation was over at that point and I just stood there laughing.

 

[Evernessince]

This thread reminds me of a conversation a friend of mine had with one of his gay friends.

He basically said why do they constantly feel the need to keep pushing the gay stuff in our faces we know gay people exist.

The gay guy said it was to promote awareness, fairness and to get people out of their fear of gays/lesbians

His response was so when do we get a straight parade?

The conversation was over at that point and I just stood there laughing.

I would be inclined to agree had this actually been a case of it "pushing the gay stuff in our faces" but this comic isn't even in the game, nothing pushed about it.

I support the existance of said content but not the overt pushing of it.

"His response was so when do we get a straight parade?"

Not a straight parade per say, but there is plenty of content that is heavy handed with heterosexuality. In games, Duke Nukem, saints row, dante's inferno, ect. 99% of movies are geared towards straight people. The fact that a straight person needs to say "when do we get a parade" just shows how blind they are to all the advantages they get from being within the "norm". They are totally viewing the world from their lense and have missed the part where most content already suits them and they still have to go out of their way to complain about the small margin of content that is produced with a character who is not heterosexual.