Overwatch Pride Event Added To Poland And Romania Following Backlash

thegamer.com:

Overwatch's first-ever pride event has just launched in Poland and Romania, following backlash from queer players in these countries. The Pride features should appear once the game has been reset, letting Polish and Romanian players access the LGBTQ-themed profile pictures and profile banners, and of course, the Pride parade makeover of the map Midtown.

There's no mention of the event coming to over regions, however, so it seems that some parts of Europe won't be getting the Pride features at all. Players in Hungary and Lithuania still can't seem to celebrate Pride on Overwatch, and there's no word on whether the event will be extended to any other countries before the festivities wrap up in July.

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"We are excited to expand all of the new Pride cosmetics and Midtown update to players in Poland and Romania," says Overwatch 2 director, Aaron Keller. "Thank you to those players for their patience and feedback."

Since this statement doesn't make any mention of Hungary and Lithuania, many are taking this as confirmation that Pride is skipping these countries entirely. Yet the wording also suggests that this won't be the last time LGBTQ+ content is added to the game, as Keller also says, "We’ll continue working to expand representation both in and out of OW2." With this in mind, Blizzard could bring similar content to other countries in the future.

In any case, many fans in Poland and Romania are relieved to hear this news, as they had feared they would be locked out of the festivities for good. For queer players, this was particularly hurtful, as they felt they were being punished for the homophobia in their country, only adding to the rejection they already