Summary
AnOverwatch 2player has highlighted just how many countries in the world have yet to produce a playable hero character. Their world map puts the spotlight on possible gaps inOverwatch 2when it comes to cultural and geographic representation.
Since the firstOverwatchtitle’s release in 2016, players and critics alike have praised the game for having a comparatively diverse array of playable characters. The heroes and villains ofOverwatchcome from a variety of countries, including nations that aren’t commonly seen in the rosters of major titles developed by studios based in North America and Europe (as developer Blizzard is).Overwatchcharacters also come from a wide span of identities as well, with several characters belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. Blizzard recently revealed its plans forOverwatch 2at Pride 2024.
But when it comes to geographic diversity, the game may still have a ways to go, at least according to a map shared by Reddit user Wonderful_Weather_83. The map shows off the many countries that have produced a playableOverwatch 2hero as of 2024, adding to the already packed list ofOverwatch 2nationalities. Indirectly, though, the map also shows almost as much in the spaces between, given the large number of countries that have no playable characters in the game yet.
Overwatch 2 Map Shows How Many Countries Have A Playable Hero
Wonderful_Weather_83’s covers the 40 released heroes inOverwatch 2so far, includingthe new Season 10 damage hero Venture, who hails from Nova Scotia, Canada. That said, because many countries play home to multiple characters, the map can’t quite highlight 40 countries. For example, the United States alone is home to four playableOverwatchcharacters, with Australia and Japan hosting three characters each. Canada and Egypt both host two characters, as well, meaning that more than a third of the playable roster is made up of characters from just five countries.
On top of that, characters like Orisa, Winston, and Wrecking Ball have a fictional origin point. Orisa is from the fictional African city-state of Numbani and Wrecking Ball and Winston came from the Lunar Colony. Meanwhile,Space Ranger will join in Season 12 from a Martian colony, according to reveals about her origin.
Thus, to expand the net of representation, the map also highlights countries and cultural groups related to a character’s origin, irrespective of their stated nationality. For example, there are no playable heroes with citizenship in New Zealand (Aotearoa), but the map highlights it all the same, in recognition of the many in-fiction hints that the Australian character Roadhog is of Maori descent. It’s fun to see just whereOverwatch 2’s famously international cast is from, and it could be exciting to speculate about which country might be next to host a new playable hero.
Overwatch 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based action game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 battlefield brawl. Power up your railgun and disrupt the battlefield as Sojourn, or yield your axe and command attention as Junker Queen. Battle to take control of a robot and move it toward the enemy base in the new Push Mode. Bring the fight to new destinations across the globe in iconic locations like New York, Rome, Monte Carlo and Rio. Daily challenges and frequent updates mean there is always something new to play.
