Overwatch Is Getting Its First Non-Binary Hero, Venture

thegamer.com:

Overwatch is finally getting a non-binary hero, with the recently revealed Venture confirmed to use they/them pronouns. They will be a new damage hero, expanding the queer cast even further after other recent additions such as Lifeweaver and Baptiste.

This gives the Overwatch 2 roster a hero for every part of the LGBTQ+ acronym, as they are the first confirmed trans character. We don't have many more details on Venture yet, but their design is going down incredibly well with the fanbase. They will be added to the game at some point in 2024, possibly making them the next hero after the latest addition, Mauga.

While Overwatch's cast is diverse, its developer, Blizzard, has struggled with this. Back in 2021, Activision Blizzard was reported to have a "frat boy" culture where predatory men harassed other employees, especially women. One of the male employees named in the report, Jesse McCree, even had an Overwatch character named after him, who was later renamed Cassidy.

Confirmation of Venture's gender identity comes from Overwatch 2 character tech artist Ana Martínez, who shared the information on Twitter. In a follow-up, she added, "They're near and dear to our hearts, so excited to share more about them soon."

New characters have been coming to Overwatch 2 very frequently since the sequel dropped last year. Since it launched, we've had Sojourn, Junker Queen, Kiriko, Ramattra, Lifeweaver, Illari, and as of yesterday, Mauga. The latter will actually disappear from the game after this weekend but will return for a full release on December 5.

In terms of our Overwatch 2 offerings, Venture is the second to be confirmed as queer, with Lifeweaver being openly pansexual since he became available to play. The boosted roster