Overwatch 2’s Midtown map has obtained an intensive makeover in celebration of Satisfaction Month. As a part of the various modifications to the map, which incorporates rainbow crosswalks and a variety of identification flags fluttering across the map, Blizzard has repainted the map’s police automobiles to seem like common SUVs.
The change was seen by Youtuber Niandra, in a video which offers a broader evaluation of Overwatch 2’s first Satisfaction occasion. “One factor that could be very fascinating to notice is that within the unique Midtown there are cop automobiles scattered about,” Niandra explains of their video. “Nevertheless, they’ve additionally been reskinned within the Satisfaction Parade theme to simply be generic.”
As Niandra notes, it is an “fascinating” design choice. Blizzard is clearly acknowledging the sentiment “no cops at delight”, which derives from the closely documented involvement of the police within the discrimination and oppression of LGBTQA+ individuals. This is not the primary time Blizzard has eliminated contentious parts from Overwatch 2’s maps both. Final yr, the designers eliminated anti-homeless structure from Midtown, with lead narrative designer Gavin Jurgens-Fyhrie stating that “‘how we hope the world shall be’ is a giant a part of our story dev”.
It is not an ideal answer. Portray over the automobiles is arguably not so good as eradicating them fully. That extra dramatic answer would possibly have an effect on map circulate, however merely altering how they appear has the unlucky implication that Blizzard’s pro-pride stance is simply pores and skin deep. Furthermore, these modifications are solely momentary, which raises broader questions in mild of Overwatch’s supposedly aspirational worldview, and whether or not depicting a police presence in any respect in a sport like this falls according to such a stance.
That stated, as documented in Niandra’s video, Overwatch 2’s Satisfaction occasion does go additional than this. It introduces new quick tales exploring the identities of sure characters, like Pharah, and Baptiste. Blizzard have additionally added free Satisfaction cosmetics, together with participant icons and identify playing cards, that shall be everlasting fixtures of the sport from right here on out.
General, Niandra has a constructive opinion of the Satisfaction occasion. “The bar was by no means very excessive with [LGBTQA+ representation], however I am truthfully actually impressed by what we have got right here,” though they do level out that “some identities do get unnoticed” referring to the absence of a genderqueer flag. It is also value noting that Blizzard’s Satisfaction cosmetics will not be usable in international locations which have anti-gay legal guidelines resembling Russia, with Overwatch’s sport director Aaron Keller stating “It is higher to have the ability to have interaction the place you possibly can than to not be capable of have interaction with individuals in any respect.”
