Yesterday, Blizzard released an Overwatch comic for the winter holidays that revealed something important about the character Tracer: she doesn’t need to wear her chronal accelerator at all times! Oh, also she has a girlfriend.
If you haven’t read the comic, here’s a brief recap:
If you’re still not getting it, Tumblr user greatlordfluffernutter has written a helpful explainer.
Most fans are pretty cool with this reveal, but there are a few holdouts that seem either in denial or upset.
aite m8 luv passionately kissin my lads in the booth after a cheeky nandos to show i appreciate our friendship #JustBritishThings pic.twitter.com/K8AVmLBCTk
— frank maclone: (@runicshield) December 20, 2016
Remember, no matter how pathetic, stupid, unattractive, unmotived, and lacking in talent you are, at least you’re not this guy pic.twitter.com/hfMlwZMPAS
— Xbone (@TheXbone) December 20, 2016
Boohoo, also “roadhog Circumcision” LMAO #Overwatch pic.twitter.com/x1VVyZTE6k
— Lik Chan (@LikChan) December 20, 2016
AS A TOP 500 STRAIGHT pic.twitter.com/iLDXhaSJAg
— 김준 (@haejun_a) December 20, 2016
lol pic.twitter.com/XBwHKJKZhr
— area gecko owner (@chaeronaea) December 21, 2016
— GIAN CARLO (@tyrantraveomega) December 20, 2016
If you’re bothered that Tracer’s queer, pretend her sexuality is the payload, because then you’ll ignore it and continue on with your day.
— Derek (@ComplicitOwl) December 20, 2016
But for the most part, the internet is completely overjoyed.
Despite everything, one thing remains true about Overwatch.
TRACER ?? BEING ?? GAY ?? WILL ?? NOT ?? CHANGE ?? THE ?? GAME ?? YOU ?? FUCKERS ?? STILL ?? IGNORE ?? THE ?? GOD ?? DAMN ?? PAYLOAD ??
— ⛄ Yule Cowards ? (@TheMarcStone) December 20, 2016
Comments
76 responses to “The Internet Reacts To Overwatch’s Tracer And Her Girlfriend”
I can’t help but feel cynical about the timing. I’m happy that Blizzard is embracing LGBT themes and doing it rather organically.
But I can’t shake the feeling that doing it right on Christmas isn’t a bit of clever marketing to get people to buy it based on having a LGBT character front and center to the game.
It seems like the prime time to show the characters at home and not doing combat stuff, much like most Christmas fan shit that goes along with games and other media. I can’t see how anyone is mad about this or has feelings beyond “that’s cute”.
I like to think of it more as a Christmas gift from Blizzard.
“You know what, 2016 may have been royally fucked, but hopefully this helps”.
Why? Because the feminist army was all up in arms that they dare sexualise a character by showing her ass in a computer game. Although after the pose was changed, they still weren’t happy. Merry Christmas feministas from blizzard. What a joke world we live in.
“The feminist army”. “Feministas”. “Joke world”. Got it…
You must be great fun at Christmas parties.
I’m sorry but I hate LGBT it’s horrible.. mainly due to their hate towards opinions when they themselves beg to have their own opinion. I like the game I bought it but now that I know this is true I wanna break it demolish it.
I’m just disappointed that in 2016 a character being LGBT can still cause controversy.
For me it makes no difference either way, but I can understand people both welcoming this and being dismissive of it. For people who identify with Tracer’s now-revealed sexuality it is validation coming from one of the world’s leading game developers and publishers. For people who either don’t care or have their own head-canon about Tracer, it is an unnecessary or unwelcome intrusion into their enjoyment of the game.
For me, Tracer’s not gay, but that’s just my fantasy. I can be objectively wrong and deal with it.
If people live their lives needing constant validation then they are going to be unhappy for a very long time. A few of my best friends that are gay, that also happen to play the game couldn’t give two shits about tracer being gay because they stopped caring what people thought about their sexuality many years ago and they have never been happier.
What about the shitloads of people that play games that fear being outed or disclosing that they are gay? Does it matter to them? I imagine it feels nice.
I would say if you have to live in fear then you haven’t properly accepted who you are as a person. Do what makes you happy and embrace hat is who you are. Fuck what everyone else thinks. Those are the people that will not matter in your lives.
You don’t need a video game to feel free and love yourself. Those that find how you live your life offensive, well that is their problem not yours. It will only be yours if you make it.
I think a lot of the people that will find validation from a video game character have not learned to love themselves yet and feel the need to find acceptance wherever they can.
The way I live my life is to love the people who love me for the way I am and love myself just the way I am. Everyone else doesn’t matter. What will their opinion matter in 100 years when we are all dead and forgotten anyway?
OK Zenyatta.
Become one with the IRS… I mean iris
It’s easy to say representation doesn’t matter when you’re part of a well-represented demographic.
It’s also easy to play the victim card and pretend the whole world is out to get you. And also you assume much about my demographic representation.
You know what they say about assumptions…
What demographic are you a part of, then? If you don’t actually tell people, assumptions are the only thing they can go on.
“For people who either don’t care or have their own head-canon about Tracer, it is an unnecessary or unwelcome intrusion into their enjoyment of the game.”
Expect its not an intrustion into the game. This is stuff outside the game. You dont see this ingame at all. If it stops people enjoying the game its due to them being anti LGBTI.
If they supposedly dont care, they should not be commenting about it full stop. Whats funny is if the comic contained a hetrosexual relationship, The people who dislike this comic would have no issue at all and would be silent. But as soon as its homosexual, They act like its a slap to the face
“intrusion into their enjoyment of the game” = for these people the enjoyment of the game goes beyond the game itself and into their ideas about the lore of the game. They aren’t necessarily anti-LGBTI: they may not like a deus ex machina “coming out” of Tracer which disrupts their conceived worldview of game lore. This conception was based on representations by Blizzard which have subsequently been altered. To wit, characters with no explicit sexual preference were “available” to people of different sexual preferences. Blizzards actions have excluded some of those people.
And also, you don’t have to care about something to participate in a debate. It’s all part of broadening your horizons 🙂
But there is a logical fallacy in saying “I dont care about this, Now watch me get angry about this”
By commenting and getting emotional about it shows you do care.
I guess its possible to use emotive language without being emotional. Politicians do it all the time 😛
Forever amused by the fact that people who refuse to believe Tracer is gay because of their own (heterosexual) fantasies… somehow don’t realise bisexuals exist?
Who said anything about heterosexual fantasies? 😉
#TracerWinstonLove
Skim reading the title I combined the words “Overwatch” and “Reacts” into “The Internet Overreacts to Tracer and Her Girlfriend.”
Title still checks out.
Reacts? Shut up before the Fine Bros find out!
The Internet reacts to the Fine Bros reacting to other people reacting to Blizzard reacting to including a gay character.
React.
lmao at the payload jokes.
also LMAO at Gays in to the iris..where do people come up with this stuff.
I thought they were called Omnics causevthey are omnisexual.
I think what I appreciate more is that despite the massive fan-reaction, this wasn’t a huge song and dance for Blizzard. No press-release stating “SHE’S GAY”, no big feature to make sure everyone is clear on it, just a single reference in a comic that shows it as a totally normal scenario, not a big deal, just as it should be.
Looking forward to the day that this isn’t news, but for now, it’s great to see that Blizzard have made a hell of a lot of people pretty damn happy.
Thats the only thing I can take away from this – Blizzard outing Tracer in such a meh way. Props to them for not turning it into the saga everyone else has.
I couldnt care less what way a game character sways, its still just a game but for me personally the biggest disappointment out of all this is that its still something people react to.
Basically, in this day and age, why is this still such a thing that it makes Governments block a frikin comic book? Hasnt the world progressed to the point this should be something to simply ignore? Hell, Sydneys had their mardi gras for nearly 40 years and this STILL gets a reaction?
Its sad.
Yep, props to Blizzard. They didn’t make a big deal out of it… probably because they know the unholy trinity (Tumblr, Twitter & Kotaku) would blow it up into a big deal regardless.
Funny they didn’t mention Jonathan McIntosh’s little rant.
They could get a whole article out of FullMcIntosh’s reaction… but sadly won’t touch him because they love his puppet Anita “Rip off everyone from their money” Sarkeesian.
dupelicate post
Just one more reason to avoid the official forums for many years to come. So much rage and hate between the pro and anti gay tracer groups.
I for one do not give a shit. She still has 2 machine pistols and can still blink and rewind. And I can still rape the 3 tank meta picks with her. Her sexuality has no impact on the game.
I just think people give too many shits about backstory and that it needs to relate to their specific life choices. If it makes that much of a difference to them then they obviously have some serious safe place issues.
She’s gay. Awesome. Now get back to the game.
There’s a whole realm of fan-fiction, art and shipping that surrounds games though. A lot of people LOVE anything they can get to expand on the lore of the game, even if it has no in-game significance. These are the people who care one way or another about Tracer’s sexuality. Other people just like playing the game (because it’s awesome).
And this is why I hate Tracer, not because she’s gay but because of pricks like you destroying my beloved Reinheart tanks!
To be fair it’s not just tracer that destroys Rein these days 🙂
True that. Rein is made of tissue paper these days 🙁
I think he is a little weaker with the changes to soldier and now that people are understanding how to effectively play Sombra so that he can’t play as the MAIN tank and is more reliant on a duo of off tanks to support him. That being said his hammer is still a massive threat. Played a comp game with him last night and destroyed the enemy team because we held them at the choke with triple tank and Mei. Used good timing when to drop the shield and when to raise it. Hitting fire strikes when I was shielded by Zarya. Did not die once on defence.
But we’re ignoring the real controversy in all this: Poor Winston was going to be alone on Christmas! And how many Christmas’ before this one has he been alone?
How is this such a negative thing for people? How is it even a big deal? It literally has no effect on the game at all.
It’s only negative if:
1. You don’t like gay characters;
2. You don’t like extraneous materials intruding into your idea of what the game is;
3. You had a thing for Tracer and she’s now ‘not into you’;
4. You have oppositional defiance and hate stuff merely because others like it;
Judging by some of them up in the article:
A: because they habitually go to Tumblr and other sites they hate, which will gush about it until the next quirk of fandom becomes flavour of the month.
B: “If I play a homo character, ppl might think I’m the homo.”
C: It’s pandering to ‘the SWJs’. I didn’t know solvent weld joints had the sentience necessary to care, but that’s what the guy said.
This is so fucking boring and now we’ll have 3 boring articles about for days….
You’re fucking boring.
Have fun living your life through a single prism.
I will, likewise to you. I hear the weather in the Breitbart prism is lovely this time of year.
Don’t read it but hey keep the stereotypes alive… Oh wait they’re bad… unless you do it.
I get it, you’re just upset those darn SJWs told you you couldn’t say “Merry Christmas” any more 🙁
It’s okay, I’m sure Santa will still give you a “Happy Non-Denominational Celebration Day” present. If you’re extra good he might even bring you that signed copy of Atlas Shrugged you were after.
I get it you’re projecting that everyone that doesn’t agree with you is evil because you are lonely.
#RUOK?
Lonely? Man, my life is fucking great. Great enough to not get bothered by a series of articles about an imaginary character being gay, which is more than can be said for you.
Who’s bothered? I said bored.
Project on righteous brother!
Any other stereotypes you want to sling out to make yourself feel better? Something about white men or privilege or alt-right?
lol what
… and you, of course, will feel the need to read every single one of these articles, and to voice your displeasure over… and over… and over…
No one’s forcing you to read about it. Just head to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for this all to blow over.
“Can I get any of you cunts a drink?”
Lucky we have your EXCITING opinion to tell us how alt-right white males feel the need to whine over this because freedoms!
Amazing!
Burnside buzzword count: 3
Yeah he’s found “alt-right” now.
That was pretty much inevitable once it hit the mainstream as a synonym for “nazi”.
It was all fun and games meaning “memes and shitposting” but then that Spencer nutjob just had to have an actual nazi party, and then the fun was over.
I’m already sick of hearing about this. Especially when gay people have been trying for decades for everyone to consider them normal and yet, even their ‘allies’ are still freaking out over what they’re trying to pass off as normal.
and the reactions to the negative reactions doesn’t make any sense to me. I witnessed little girls crying because Zuko didn’t shag up with Katara. This happens all the friggen time, but now it’s only funny because ‘lol male sexists’. Even though the majority don’t really care.
A fictional video game character is revealed to be gay and half the fandom gets outraged. How utterly ridiculous, depressingly immature and epically face palm-inducing stupid is this???
It has NO BEARING on the game!!!
So someone (real or not) is gay. Whatever. IT’S NORMAL. Grow up and deal with it.
FFS, I am so tired that this sorta thing is STILL a big deal in 2016.
Watch out, if you use the “it’s 20XX” trope, you’ll be greeted by a chorus of REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE’s from our friendly usual suspects.
Legend has it if you say “It’s 20XX” three times while looking in the mirror, Vox Day will appear behind you.
Biggie Smalls, Biggie Smalls, Biggie…
:p
Also, how come you aren’t showing McIntosh’s reaction? His was the most hilarious.
I don’t understand why people think this matters or not, who really cares if someone else or what ever character in a game is gay…
Don’t worry there will be 10 more articles
Man…that guy that imagined this character to sing him to sleep every night has way bigger mental problems than the fallout of a fictional video game character being gay.
Some of these possibly cannot be true right? I really don’t understand the overzealous fan-fic scene with all the shipping. People endlessly debating on hypotheticals based on their own fantasies with fictional characters.
The only issue I have with this is the way that the “You May Like” image for me lined up with the comic so perfectly that it looked like the first panel: http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/batguy_kotaku/overwatch_zpsucrtiyog.png
I mean look at her. Tell me that’s not the same person. Mind. Blown.
Bahahahaha! You’re absolutely right!
More importantly…
Who is the girl all over Torb? And is she secretly a robot?
Omg Genji has a face under there… and while stuck with with Zen he appears to be writing love letters to Mercy maybe???
Who is Reaper stalking? and why is that man still alive?
Ana and Phara not family during xmas?
Luna Park seriously thats the best Australian reference they could get, lame!
Let me guess, you’d rather see the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Opera House used for the 5,000,000,000,000th time? I’m happy to see a Melbourne icon get featured in the comic with the Aussie Boom Brothers
A BBQ and a couple of beers on the beach, why did it have to be a lame landmark.
A covertible getaway… too american… a Holden Ute!
I have bad news for you on both counts.
– That’s the Sydney Luna Park entrance, not the Melbourne one. Note the pillar design and the “Luna Park” lettering on stilts.
– Both the Harbour Bridge and Opera House already featured in a previous comic.
What is wrong with society. Getting messed up over this need to watch this.
I don’t play overwatch and have never really been bothered by the sexuality of my game characters (as a bisexual male I’m good either way!) but what make’s me happy is the amount of people in these comments saying “How is this still an issue in 2016?”. It shows the progress being made in normalising homosexuality. It gives me hope that sometime soon this won’t be an issue and that gay and lesbian kids will feel normal and won’t have to deal with the feelings of depression, loneliness and ostracism that many do now.
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/facepalm.gif
It is sad that most of the people who comment in support of this change don’t know the basics of story writing because if they did they wouldn’t be supporting this change.
But of course why should i expect that people who like virtue signaling in any story or movie have any respect for the writing process or how a story should handle this sort of stuff.
What you people fail to understand is that rushing this stuff in to a character several issues into a comic series isn’t the way to do this or handle this when it comes to a comic series stuff like this is clued into and then finally established in the third issue or somewhat early into a comic to flesh out the character which is what you’re supposed to do in comics you are supposed to know they are right off the bat so you get to see how the action the character takes affect them and their decision making and how it gradually changes them.
Such a brazen character change without it even it being clued into in previous issues of the comic series is just jarring and understandably pisses people off.
But why should i expect people who are tumblr feminists to care let alone consider other peoples feelings about this because after all you are the most self centered and shallow people on the planet.
Who take great joy in the suffering of not only the men around you by the hashtags in which you say that all men should just die among other horrible putrid things you say but other people who don’t agree with you on a certain issue. Nor should i expect common decency decency you overly pushy LGBT who think you speak for the entire LGBT community which newsflash you dont who treat that people who don’t fit those catagories with nothing disdain and contempt.
This is just my two cents to tell people who find this blatant disrespect of the writing process (the out of nowhere and not at all built up change to who tracer was) how i feel not that they would care because they’re to focused on the arbitrary concept of equal representation and pushing it not only onto the gaming community who do not want it nor need it but also the movie industry.
To be honest half of you who defend this article haven’t written an original story in your life nor have played a videogame in your life so it is kind of expected you wouldn’t have respect for gamers at all.
Anyway that’s all i have to say hopefully the people who support this are able to reflect on how they’ve made the gaming community feel most likely not but who cares goodbye