a new arena

Overwatch’s new “Calling All Heroes” initiative aims to give their diversity a major buff

By

In conjunction with the release of Overwatch 2 (r.i.p. original recipe Overwatch), the team has launched a new diversity campaign designed to make the game a level platform for all its players.

With a title no doubt inspired by the character Winston’s original call to re-assemble the agents of Overwatch, the “Calling All Heroes” initiative is intended to reconnect with past players and bring new voices into the fold.

The initiative includes the formation of new Overwatch tournaments, aimed as broadening the scope of e-sports talent for the game.

The new “Challengers Cup” is specifically geared towards increasing gender equity among the franchise:

Related: This new game is the queer questfest you’ve been searching for

Likewise, their “Caster Camp” program is designed to bring underrepresented communities into positions outside the game itself.

“The Caster Camp aims to provide underrepresented groups the opportunity to learn from some of the best broadcast talent in the industry, build skills, and form professional relationships,” the official site reads.

“We hope that this program will help create equity in the commentating space and produce a more diverse talent pool for the Overwatch competitive ecosystem.”

The third prong of this initiative is the introduction of the “Defense Matrix”, a mechanic aimed at making a more level playing field for competition and a safer environment by minimizing disruptive behavior in-game.

“Defense Matrix fortifies Overwatch’s security and game experience through aspects like SMS protect, audio transcriptions, and the all-new first-time user experience,” the site reads.

The matrix is meant to be an ongoing and developing system to weed discriminatory speech and behavior out of the playing experience, making for a more inclusive environment for all players.

Related: The 10 best queer games available on the Nintendo Switch

This initiative comes at a convenient time for the company; the new focus on diversity and inclusion may go towards repairing their rocky relationship with players disillusioned with Activision Blizzard’s problematic history.

Just this year, the company was faced with another lawsuit for “rampant sexism” and alleged retaliation against a whistleblower.

Even as Overwatch 2 launched on October 4th, a report was released stating that Activision Blizzard had been found to be withholding raises from employees who campaigned for unionizing. Not directly dealing with diversity and inclusion, but inclusivity advocate usually aren’t keen on union-busting behavior.

If this new push for Overwatch is reflected throughout the company, it’ll be much easier for the players it’s attempting to reach to participate with clearer consciences.

You can watch the full initiative announcement here:

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated