Highlights
- Overwatch 2 praised for diverse characters from various countries & LGBTQ+ representation.
- Reddit map highlights the gap in geographic representation for playable heroes in the game.
- Fictional origins like Numbani and Lunar Colony add depth to the diverse character roster.
An Overwatch 2 player has highlighted just how many countries in the world have yet to produce a playable hero character. Their world map puts the spotlight on possible gaps in Overwatch 2 when it comes to cultural and geographic representation.
Since the first Overwatch title's release in 2016, players and critics alike have praised the game for having a comparatively diverse array of playable characters. The heroes and villains of Overwatch come from a variety of countries, including nations that aren't commonly seen in the rosters of major titles developed by studios based in North America and Europe (as developer Blizzard is). Overwatch characters also come from a wide span of identities as well, with several characters belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. Blizzard recently revealed its plans for Overwatch 2 at Pride 2024.
Overwatch 2 Abandoning Hero Mastery Gauntlet May Be The Final Nail in The Coffin For PvE
Overwatch 2's hero mastery gauntlet mode will be removed at the end of the current season, which sounds like bad news for PvE missions.
But when it comes to geographic diversity, the game may still have a ways to go, at least according to a map shared by Reddit user Wonderful_Weather_83. The map shows off the many countries that have produced a playable Overwatch 2 hero as of 2024, adding to the already packed list of Overwatch 2 nationalities. Indirectly, though, the map also shows almost as much in the spaces between, given the large number of countries that have no playable characters in the game yet.
Overwatch 2 Map Shows How Many Countries Have A Playable Hero
Wonderful_Weather_83's covers the 40 released heroes in Overwatch 2 so far, including the new Season 10 damage hero Venture, who hails from Nova Scotia, Canada. That said, because many countries play home to multiple characters, the map can't quite highlight 40 countries. For example, the United States alone is home to four playable Overwatch characters, with Australia and Japan hosting three characters each. Canada and Egypt both host two characters, as well, meaning that more than a third of the playable roster is made up of characters from just five countries.
On top of that, characters like Orisa, Winston, and Wrecking Ball have a fictional origin point. Orisa is from the fictional African city-state of Numbani and Wrecking Ball and Winston came from the Lunar Colony. Meanwhile, Space Ranger will join in Season 12 from a Martian colony, according to reveals about her origin.
Thus, to expand the net of representation, the map also highlights countries and cultural groups related to a character's origin, irrespective of their stated nationality. For example, there are no playable heroes with citizenship in New Zealand (Aotearoa), but the map highlights it all the same, in recognition of the many in-fiction hints that the Australian character Roadhog is of Maori descent. It's fun to see just where Overwatch 2's famously international cast is from, and it could be exciting to speculate about which country might be next to host a new playable hero.
Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is Blizzard's free-to-play team-based first-person shooter. The title features some new heroes like Junker Queen and Sojourn, as well as returning favorites.
