Blizzard recently released a very interesting graphic novel version of their game Overwatch. It features the female character Tracer, who is shown giving a gift to Emily, who is of the same sex. The two seal the holiday occasion with a kiss, blissfully unaware that in the real world, this is not entirely condoned by Russia.
The Overwatch Website Unreadable in Russia
Twits started getting attention over the inability of users to access the Russian version of the game's website. This however was a preemptive move by Blizzard to comply with the law of the country. In their website, a message in Russian is seen posted, "In accordance with Russian law we cannot share this comic with our players on territory of Russian Federation," translated.
The Russian government has always been open about its views towards the LGBT group. Homosexuality, while legal, has its restrictions. In 2013, the country was criticized over a law passed that banned "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations." This, among other reasons, is probably what cautioned Blizzard to post the graphic novel in the country.
Tracer's Gender Orientation Not a Surprise
While it is true that Blizzard has kept mum about the identity of a possible LGBT character in Overwatch, gamers were not surprised at all when Blizzard portrayed Tracer kissing Emily. It has always been speculated that she was indeed the queer character of the game. Furthermore, gamers took to youtube and aired their sentiments over not really caring what the character's gender orientation is.
Overall, this news is a sad reality especially for the comic and gaming community in Russia that due to differences, story developments of the game Overwatch could not be enjoyed fully. Nevertheless, everyone is excited as to how the characters of the game are slowly being revealed and given light to further the story. One can only speculate on when the next chapter of the game is released and made public.
