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Update: Blizzard Confirms Tracer Is Overwatch's First Lesbian Character
Update: We reached out to Blizzard for comment on Tracer's sexuality. The company sent this statement:
Tracer is a lesbian character. As in real life, we feel having variety in our characters and their identities and backgrounds helps create a richer and deeper overall fictional universe. Many different factors go into any story or character decision, including our own creative goals and what we want to get across about the characters and the game world. It was decided from the very beginning of our work on Tracer’s story that this would be an aspect of her character, as it just felt right to us.
Original Story (December 20 at 3:40 PM Central): Earlier today, Blizzard published its newest online comic Reflections, which gives us a glimpse at what our favorite Overwatch characters are up to during the holidays. In particular, Reflections gives prominence to Tracer, who is shown at home with Emily, who seems to be her girlfriend. The two share a kiss in one of the panels, confirming that Tracer is Overwatch's first LGBTQ character.
As this is featured in the official comics, this makes Tracer's sexuality canon. The comic also briefly shows what other characters are doing during the break, such as McCree drinking a little too much and Winston joining Tracer and Emily for dinner. We've reached out to Blizzard for further comment, and will update this article should we hear back.
You can read Reflections for free by heading here. Editor Jeff Marchiafava recently ranked all of the Overwatch characters in this humorous feature.
Our Take
Tracer is one of the more prominent and well-known characters of Overwatch, who is featured on the official box art and has been used for much of the title's marketing. It's really awesome to see that Blizzard hasn't shied away from these themes, as it brings more visibility and inclusivity to its diverse cast. I'm curious to see what else is in store.
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