Tracer from Overwatch Confirmed as a Lesbian.

[Silvanus]

So let me ask you this. Does Tracer being gay actually help anything? Because she doesn't show strength from a stereotype, she is simply a strong women and Blizzard made her gay "just because". In Tracer's context, her sexuality is irrelevant, so why did it ever matter in the first place?

I've said this before, but I understand wanting a gay option in games where sexuality is important (your Bioware games for example), but in a game where there is no sexual...anything...a character's sexuality means fuckall. Tracer's character is entirely based on her personality which shows no hints of her sexuality so her being a lesbian seems like a inconsequential footnote, not something the LBGT community should be hyped about.

Showing a character's home life adds flavour. That was kind of the entire point of the comic; showing how they celebrate the holidays, adding flavour and background.

So, her being a Lesbian might be inconsequential to you, sure, fine and good. Notice that various characters are confirmed straight, and that's equally inconsequential, and yet doesn't provoke all of this debate (pro or con); it's just accepted. It's not even worth comment at all.

It is only the uncommonness which makes this noteworthy. If it were as ubiquitous as straight representation, then indeed, there would be no discussion. But when you are of a minority, and you very rarely see yourself reflected in the pop-culture sphere, it's nice when it does happen.

Have they announced any other characters sexualities? or put anything about the characters in game yet (havent played in ages). Surely if they were going to do this they would have a character sheet with these on at the start. If it was not important enough to warrant mention at that time then I dont see why it is important to note now.

Why must only "important" information be in a light-hearted Christmas comic about what they do at the holidays? It's just there as flavour.

 

[CritialGaming]

Tracer's character is entirely based on her personality which shows no hints of her sexuality so her being a lesbian seems like a inconsequential footnote, not something the LBGT community should be hyped about. .

I'm confused.

Earlier you said gay people shouldn't act gay because it's a stereotype. Yet now you say because Tracer didn't "act gay" before, her sexuality doesn't matter now. How do you act gay but not act gay? What's gay-but-not-stereotypically-gay look like?

Also, who made you the gatekeeper on what the LGBT community should be excited over? Why do you care so much that a group you aren't involved in, don't care about, and don't interact with is happy?

Why do you care if other people are excited?

Actually my confusion isn't so much that the LBGT community is happy. I'm happy they are happy, even if i can't understand why. I'm more confused as to why people on the other side are upset. The whole "My Waifu is Dead" thing going on is stupid. Taking offense to sexuality is just dumb. Excitement is okay i guess but I don't quite understand that either. Though from a pure social statement, I can kinda get why certain people would be happier than others.

I guess it just boils down to me thinking homophobia is stupid, because sexuality doesn't affect anyone but the individual person. So being outraged by it seems like nonsense. Additionally, TRACER IS FUCKING FICTIONAL! Not real! Not a real person! Not real conflicts, not real emotions! Taking offense to a piece of fiction is dumb. just....ugh.

 

[EternallyBored]

Have they announced any other characters sexualities? or put anything about the characters in game yet (havent played in ages). Surely if they were going to do this they would have a character sheet with these on at the start. If it was not important enough to warrant mention at that time then I dont see why it is important to note now.

If they are going to add sexualities to the characters then fine do it if you feel the need but there is no need to make an announcement of it. I would find it very tacky if they made any deal over this whatsoever especially when it is such a superfluous and low effort addition.

That said I do not follow Overwatch and so am unaware how or if they made an announcement about it. If they did not say anything and just added it meh yeah ok fine but if they said oh one of our characters is gay its a bit sad imo especially if they left people hanging for a while because its inconsequential, pure fluff that does nothing and means nothing with such low effort tagging.

Guess the next one to be announced will be Winston is into bestiality. Or Reaper is a Necrophiliac or some nonsense. Actually I would love it if they gave every character some strange sexuality, Straight, Gay, Bi doesnt really add much to the characters.

They didn't announce it or advertise it, the only hint before the actual release was a tweet in response to someone asking jokingly about Overwatch shipping where they said one of the characters was LGBT, they didn't specify who or advertise it as some anticipated reveal,and it was part of a number of answers to questions about upcoming comics and character videos. They didn't advertise it after the comics release either, it's just there.

As for important, you don't list all the relevant character traits at the start, that's bad storytelling, not listing the characters sexuality at the beginning does not mean you can't tell interesting stories about character relationships down the line. Also, yes we have known some of the characters sexuality to some extent before this comic and during it. Torbjorn is shown with his wife and kids/grandkids, Widowmaker is shown lamenting at her dead husband's grave, and Ana is explicitly pharah's mother so, as another poster described, "done the nasty in the pasty".

 

[CritialGaming]

snip.

There is no ire, lack of understanding doesn't automatically mean i am being malicious. If you wanna project ire upon the LBGT community that's on you.

But instead of lashing out, maybe just help me understand.

Though it would probably be better for me not to engage someone so quick to anger, as it will only serve to make me just as angry and I'm not in the mood to get banned today.

You have a good day. And enjoy your gay mascot.

 

[happyninja42]

Bottom line, if Blizzard is going to actually develop a storyline out of the game, that expands on the universe they have created in the game, they can, and will, make definitive statements about the motivations and aspects of the characters they create. And since none of the stuff in the comics effects the game at all, we could argue that none of it should ever be established, because "it has nothing to do with the game". Because if you've ever read a comic book in your life, you know things like romance and love interests come up ALL the time. This is a comic book, it will cover all the stuff that don't deal with Tracer shooting shit in an arena. And that's fine.

I also know that comic books are constantly ret-coned. Characters change from one issue to the next a lot of the time. Which also means that this comic doesn't actually mean shit. Kinda silly really.

I wouldn't care if Tracer hid a 12 inch dong between her legs. It doesn't matter to her character, or the things she had done. Until Blizzard releases a story in which her sexuality has meaning to her actions and motivations. It doesn't matter. That's me and I will never understand why it matters to others. Just like I don't understand how people can like Overwatch in the first place. I'm strange.

I'm not really sure what your point is here. All I'm trying to say is that if we're going to say that information that is irrelevant to the game itself shouldn't be put out there, then we might as well just toss out all of it. All of those animated shorts that flesh out the characters, are equally as irrelevant as Tracer's (or any other character's) sexuality. We don't NEED to know that Soldier 76 and Reaper have a back history, and they are rivals. We don't NEED to know that Widowmaker only feels alive (and likely sexually aroused, given her Black Widow motif) when she takes a life. We don't NEED to know that the two Japanese characters are brothers, and that one supposedly killed the other out of a matter of family honor. None of it impacts the game at all, and thus, by the logic of "it's not part of the game, so why should it be there" matters.

But the thing is, it does matter. It matters to the fans, it matters to the people who fell in love with this world Blizzard created, and the vibrant and interesting characters they populated it with. They want to know more about them. And that means the Blizzard has to create something about them. Give them definitive characteristics to structure a person, instead of just an avatar for a game. That means making choices, about who and what they are, which does include their sexuality. I personally don't have a thing for apes, but I would have to say my personal favorite character, based on the lore of Overwatch, is Winston. Because I love what he stands for. The fact that he grew up on the moon as part of some experiment doesn't really impact my love of him. He could've been in an earthbound lab, and the story would be the same. It's just another data point. Just like Tracer being into girls is just another data point. For some it won't make much difference, for some it will.

 

[CritialGaming]

snip

Fair enough I guess. Fans be fandoming.

Well hope it ultimately make people happy.

 

[Qizx]

A bit of a bad move by Blizzard. By revealing to the public that "one of the characters is homosexual", they gave the fanbase ammo to speculate as much as they wanted. They should have left it there, making the character's sexualities unspecified, as it doesn't need to be, since it has nothing to do with the gameplay. The only result of this is that people will see Tracer as the LGBT token of Overwatch.

Friend do I have bad news for you. We've been speculating their sexualities since they were revealed. And the general consensus is that..all of them.

All of them are gay.

Especially Soldier 76 and reaper. And Junkrat and Roadhog. And Mei and Zarya. And pharah and mercy. And symettra and sombra. And McCree and hanzo.

Super gay.

(Also, I like how pharahs confirmed straightness by her having dinner with a man doesn't 'count' as leaving her sexuality unspecified, because it's a videogame. But tracers does? Does straight not count as a sexuality?)

I've had many a dinner with Men, and I'm straight, I've had many a dinner with woman whom I'm not dating. Tracer living and and kissing a woman doesn't leave much up to speculation.

Not that I care or anything, but yeah just pointing out that having dinner =/= sexy-time with them.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

Something else I actually want to know. are there ACTUAL people who are actually angry about this, or are there just people like this little collection of tweeters who just CLAIM people are angry about this?

Cause most of the places I frequent the majority consensus has ranged from "that's hot!" to "who gives a shit?".

And before anyone asks, /pol/ and /v/ don't count. They hate everything.

 

[Metalix Knightmare]

No big news.

Now, had they revealed that a MALE hero was gay? THAT would have been brave by Blizzard, and an outrage on the internet.

Yeah, not really. http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/geek/2015/07/07/52-lgbt-superheroes-and-villains

Heck, the men seem to outnumber the women.

(That said I WILL raise a bit of a fuss over Iceman if only because that was pulled so far out of the writer's ass that stomach acid was on it.)

 

[Silvanus]

I don't think I was talking about real relationships.

Haha, I know, don't worry. Only kidding.

 

[Qizx]

Something else I actually want to know. are there ACTUAL people who are actually angry about this, or are there just people like this little collection of tweeters who just CLAIM people are angry about this?

Cause most of the places I frequent the majority consensus has ranged from "that's hot!" to "who gives a shit?".

And before anyone asks, /pol/ and /v/ don't count. They hate everything.

Yeeeeah, I think this is a classic "LOL people are mad about this HAHAHAH." which gets sent around without anyone (or very few people) actually being mad.

 

[MerlinCross]

Something else I actually want to know. are there ACTUAL people who are actually angry about this, or are there just people like this little collection of tweeters who just CLAIM people are angry about this?

Cause most of the places I frequent the majority consensus has ranged from "that's hot!" to "who gives a shit?".

And before anyone asks, /pol/ and /v/ don't count. They hate everything.

Yeeeeah, I think this is a classic "LOL people are mad about this HAHAHAH." which gets sent around without anyone (or very few people) actually being mad.

I dunno I saw some topics about it over on the Overwatch forums. Mind you it was screenshots so who knows how much they are going to complain about it for extended periods.

I've seen more tweets about people bashing gamers over it or bashing Blizzard for doing the 'safe' inclusive thing. But those are what pass by my screen when going around image boards, not seeking it out on tweeter itself.

 

[Baffle]

Showing a character's home life adds flavour. That was kind of the entire point of the comic; showing how they celebrate the holidays, adding flavour and background.

I like to think that Reaper and Zenyatta live together. Reaper goes in the kitchen and there's dirty plates and stuff piling up. He does a gruff sigh (the only one he has). Opens the dishwasher, it's empty, ready to be loaded. Sighs again (gruffly). Walks through to the living room, heavy of tread, not wanting the conversation but going to have it anyway. There's Zenyatta, hovering three inches off the sofa, crying with laughter, watching old Charlie Chaplin movies. He is 100% baked. Reaper doesn't want to spoil the night so he walks off quietly and loads the dishwasher.

Meanwhile, Zenyatta runs out of farts and can no longer hover. He hears Reaper loading the dishwasher and is angry with himself for not doing it. He's worried that one day Reaper will leave and he'll need to get a room-mate that has a nose, then he won't be able to hover any more. Then Charlie does the gag with the mirror and Zenyatta pisses himself laughing.

 

[Silvanus]

I like to think that Reaper and Zenyatta live together. Reaper goes in the kitchen and there's dirty plates and stuff piling up. He does a gruff sigh (the only one he has). Opens the dishwasher, it's empty, ready to be loaded. Sighs again (gruffly). Walks through to the living room, heavy of tread, not wanting the conversation but going to have it anyway. There's Zenyatta, hovering three inches off the sofa, crying with laughter, watching old Charlie Chaplin movies. He is 100% baked. Reaper doesn't want to spoil the night so he walks off quietly and loads the dishwasher.

Meanwhile, Zenyatta runs out of farts and can no longer hover. He hears Reaper loading the dishwasher and is angry with himself for not doing it. He's worried that one day Reaper will leave and he'll need to get a room-mate that has a nose, then he won't be able to hover any more. Then Charlie does the gag with the mirror and Zenyatta pisses himself laughing.

How did you find out my Fanfiction.net pseudonym?

 

[McElroy]

Tracer has, for lack of a better word, become iconic. Hell, I'd ever say that she's the face of Overwatch. And for all it's focus on nonsensical people killing three clones of themselves, this IS a character based shooter, much like TF2. And like TF2, those characters are the main draw for a vast number of people. As a result, people care about the characters and want to know more about them.

But I'm probably not going to change your mind on this, so what the hoo-ha.

Yeah well, for a game that kinda just goes on and on in its own pocket dimension Blizzard is doing a lot to make people care. High-quality animated shorts, esports push among other, smaller things... and this piece of thrash. Like, I hope this is the lowest they're willing to go because I enjoy games having pop culture presence even if I think caring about some silly canon is dumb. This comic hits into the area where the pop culture presence (imagine it's quantifiable xD) is nothing but this character coming out as a lesbian and even the fans only get a tiny bit of creative content.

But hey, on the whole my perspective is that there are very few actually good video game stories out there (Undertale, Portal, Spec Ops: The Line maybe some others I haven't played) and for the rest you are better off reading novels unless playing the game itself is the top priority.

edit:

Blizzard flat out made Tracer into a lesbian (which isn't an issue and people are free on who they can love)

Haha, you're saying Tracer is free to love anyone, but Blizzard MADE her into a lesbian! How do you explain that, huh? Yeah, feeling pretty dumb now! Tracer should be free to choose but no says the big Blizz. Yeah, kinda outrageous. And like totally an issue.

 

[Erttheking]

Tracer has, for lack of a better word, become iconic. Hell, I'd ever say that she's the face of Overwatch. And for all it's focus on nonsensical people killing three clones of themselves, this IS a character based shooter, much like TF2. And like TF2, those characters are the main draw for a vast number of people. As a result, people care about the characters and want to know more about them.

But I'm probably not going to change your mind on this, so what the hoo-ha.

Yeah well, for a game that kinda just goes on and on in its own pocket dimension Blizzard is doing a lot to make people care. High-quality animated shorts, esports push among other, smaller things... and this piece of thrash. Like, I hope this is the lowest they're willing to go because I enjoy games having pop culture presence even if I think caring about some silly canon is dumb. This comic hits into the area where the pop culture presence (imagine it's quantifiable xD) is nothing but this character coming out as a lesbian and even the fans only get a tiny bit of creative content.

But hey, on the whole my perspective is that there are very few actually good video game stories out there (Undertale, Portal, Spec Ops: The Line maybe some others I haven't played) and for the rest you are better off reading novels unless playing the game itself is the top priority.

Uh, except it shows them going to spend Christmas with Winston, how Winston is lonely, it shows the good inner nature of Tracer, it shows how all the other heroes are spending Christmas, even hinting at something within Widowmaker, a relationship between Soldier 76 and Ana...yeah there's a lot more to it than that

 

[McElroy]

Uh, except it shows them going to spend Christmas with Winston, how Winston is lonely, it shows the good inner nature of Tracer, it shows how all the other heroes are spending Christmas, even hinting at something within Widowmaker, a relationship between Soldier 76 and Ana...yeah there's a lot more to it than that

Anyone could come up with that shit (especially since most of that is already hinted at in the in-game quips).