Meet Venture: Overwatch 2 Adds First Non-Binary Hero
By Jamie Lee
Overwatch 2 is the sequel to Blizzard Entertainment’s multiplayer first-person shooter, Overwatch. Since Overwatch was originally released in 2016, 40 different characters have been added to the game’s roster but Venture may be their boldest character yet.
Developers on the Overwatch 2 team kept Venture’s gender identity in mind when bringing them to life.
“Venture is our first trans-non-binary hero, and they use they/them pronouns,” said Miranda Moyer, a senior narrative designer at Blizzard. “To ensure we would represent Venture’s identity as authentically as possible, the development team for Venture worked very closely with the LGBT Network at Blizzard as well as gender non-conforming developers on Team 4, gathering feedback and refining them over time. We even consulted with a queer fashion company to help us realize Venture in a way that felt most true to their identity and the queer community at large.”
Overwatch is no stranger to LGBTQ+ characters. Tracer became the game’s first queer hero upon the release of Overwatch in 2016. Soldier: 76 was later confirmed to be gay in 2019.
However, in the last few years, the United States has seen a rise in gender identity discrimination. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there were “over 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced into state houses across the country” in 2023, and “over 220” of those bills “targeted transgender people.”
This rise in transphobia makes Venture’s arrival even more potent. At the moment, Overwatch 2 is one of the most popular video games, and having diversity like this in it is very influential.
Overwatch 2 heroes fall into three categories: tank, damage and support. Venture is a damage hero who wields a massive excavation drill that shoots rocks at enemy heroes, making this character incredibly strong in close-range combat.
Venture has a variety of abilities for players to utilize. One of the most devastating of these is called ‘Drill Dash’ which allows Venture to dash forward and knock enemies back, dealing a large chunk of damage. ‘Burrow’ lets Venture drill underground and become invulnerable for a small amount of time before resurfacing.
The drill-wielding hero also has great survivability.
“Venture is all about being in their opponents’ faces with their close-quarters combat, so their playstyle is supported with two unique passives,” Blizzard Entertainment wrote. “First, the Clobber passive enables Venture to deal more damage with their Quick Melee than other heroes as they bash their opponents with the massive drill. And thanks to their Explorer’s Resolve passive, they can use Drill Dash or Burrow and be granted temporary shields, allowing Venture to stay in the fight longer.”
Players who are able to master all of Venture’s abilities make for a formidable foe in matches.
Venture is available to play now across all gaming platforms.