Overwatch: Pioneering Disability Representation in Gaming

Geoff Cook

Overwatch: Pioneering Disability Representation in Gaming

Overwatch uniquely represents disability through its characters. It highlights characters like Symmetra, who is interpreted as having high-functioning autism, and Ana, who lost an eye and uses an eyepatch. The article notes that players have reacted positively to this representation, appreciating the inclusion and how it allows for discussions about disability in gaming.

Overwatch's Diverse Representation:

• Overwatch is praised for including a significant number of heroes with various disabilities, both physical and mental.
• This representation goes beyond simple visual cues and is often integrated into the characters' lore and gameplay.
• Players have widely acknowledged and appreciated this aspect of the game's character design.

Specific Character Examples:

• Symmetra: Officially confirmed by Blizzard as autistic. Many interpret her in-game behaviors and comic appearances as aligning with traits of autism, mainly a focus on order and noticing details.
• Ana: A veteran sniper who lost her right eye. She chooses to wear an eyepatch and has in-game dialogue reflecting her comfort with this part of her identity.
• Genji: A cyborg ninja who requires extensive cybernetics after a near-fatal attack. His cybernetic body is essential for his mobility.
• Junkrat: Lost his right leg and arm due to an explosion and uses prosthetics. His disability doesn't hinder his chaotic and explosive personality.
• Torbjörn: An engineer who is missing an arm and possibly an eye. He utilizes a prosthetic arm and continues his work.
• McCree (Cassidy): Has a prosthetic left arm.
• Tracer: Has "chronal disassociation" requiring a device to stay anchored in time. This is presented as a condition with potential side effects.
• Roadhog: Requires a breathing apparatus, possibly due to radiation poisoning.
• Widowmaker: Has undergone psychological conditioning that has suppressed her emotions.
• Bastion: A robot unit that appears to experience something akin to PTSD from past combat.
• Sigma: His backstory involves a physics experiment that fractured his mind, leading to what some interpret as a form of mental illness.
• Lifeweaver: Underwent mandatory prosthetic replacement of one arm due to Vishkar technology.
• Mei and Illari: Some players interpret their lore as suggesting they experience PTSD and survivor's guilt.

Player Interpretations and Discussions:

• Beyond officially confirmed disabilities, players often interpret other characters as having conditions like PTSD, depression, or other physical limitations.
• The representation has sparked discussions among players, including those with disabilities who appreciate seeing themselves reflected in the game's heroes.
• Some players feel that while the representation is present, it could be explored more deeply within the game's narrative and gameplay.

Points of Debate:

• Some discussions revolve around whether certain conditions are accurately or respectfully portrayed.
• There are occasional calls for even more diverse representation, such as characters who use wheelchairs.
• The line between a character's backstory trauma and a diagnosable disability is sometimes debated.

Overall, Overwatch is notable for its efforts to include characters with various disabilities, contributing to broader conversations about representation in gaming.

Original Article

DavidDArcangelo

This is interesting, many thanks for sharing.

DavidDArcangelo

Sarah Tuberty

Oh now interesting!! It is refreshing to see that there is a more towards more representation within multi- media formats. I also respect that it will not always be spot on. It is very cool to read that there is wider variation within the disability narratives- with some being more cognitive/ mental vs purely physical based disabilities.

It is interesting, although I suppose not surprising, to read that there are several characters with prosthetics/ cyborg elements. I struggle with this personally as a limb different person. Within in the past 10-15 years there has been big advancement within myoelectric prosthetic devices for the upper extremities. At the same time, there has been this big rise in limb different representation in our media outlets- however, I worry that a lot of this representation is with a bionic devices- I fear that having these cyborg devices is the only way that the limb different community can show up with in the disability narratives.

These devices may not be necessary or even a helpful tool for many limb different people- or maybe they are helpful tools for specific activities- however, the narrative is that these characters wear these devices full time and become part of the identity. It is much cooler to be a "bionic model" or a "bionic race car driver" and being a "limb different model" or a "limb different race car driver."

I just worry, that our younger kiddos with congenital limb differences feel the pressure to obtain and wear these devices when they may not actually help them. Or that their limb different are considered "gross" by default and the prosthetic device makes them "cool." These devices are also wildly expensive and are super hard to get covered by US based insurance companies- which I worry that people feel disheartened and "gross" because they can not acquire these devices.

I would really love to see more of an accurate representation of prosthetic device use in these medias such as the wearer taking the device on/off- complaining of the device being hot/ heavy, and needing to charge the device - along with all of the cool things the devices can do. I would just love to expand the space limb different people can occupy to include intermittent prosthetic device use and also no device use.

Geoff Cook

Couldn't have said it better myself, Sarah. When I play games, specifically sports, I always create myself to be faster than a speed bass player because I struggle to run in real life, and I'm limited by the fact that my wheelchair can't travel very fast.

I a valid concern that you may have about the next generation of children, with one difference I had never considered: their perspective. As a kid, most of my chairs were custom-made. My early chairs had spokes, and I used to love customizing them with baseball cards to make me feel cooler. There is so much pressure on kids, regardless of disability, to find a place where they fit in, and I feel like if you have disabilities, it's even easier to be pushed to the outside.

Sarah Tuberty

Yes!! Agreed so much Geoff!!