Blizzard quietly confirms another LGBTQ Overwatch hero

In a new short story titled “Bastet,” Blizzard Entertainment confirms that Soldier: 76 (aka Jack Morrison) is the second LGBTQ character in the Overwatch universe.

Former sniper Ana comes across a wounded Soldier: 76 in the streets of Cairo, and takes him back to her hideout. It’s the first time they’ve been reunited since the explosion rocked the Overwatch headquarters in Switzerland — neither of them knew the other one was alive for sure until now. She catches a glimpse of him going through a few photos, and sees an old one of him with a dark-haired man named Vincent.

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“Vincent… I haven’t thought about him in years,” Ana said. “Still keeping a candle lit for him?”
Jack shook his head. “Nothing like that.”
“You’ve never looked in on him? You must have been curious. All the surveillance power in the world. I bet Gabe would have put a Blackwatch agent on him if you asked,” Ana said.
Jack glared at her.
“Okay, touchy subject.”
Jack laughed. “He got married. They’re very happy. I’m happy for him.”

“Vincent deserved a happier life than the one I could give him.” Jack sighed. “We both knew that I could never put anything above my duty. Everything I fought for was to protect people like him… That’s the sacrifice I made.”
“Relationships don’t work out so well for us, do they?” Ana said, unconsciously running her thumb over where her wedding ring used to be.

The announcement comes a little over two years after an Overwatch comic revealed Tracer spending Christmas with her girlfriend Emily. However, if we take a closer look at the same comic, we can make out a panel of Soldier looking at what appears to be the same photograph referenced in the “Bastet” story.

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Outside the cinematics, this is the first big chunk of Overwatch lore players have gotten in a while, and also the first time we’ve seen anything about Soldier’s personal life.

Update: A tweet from lead writer Michael Chu confirms that Soldier identifies as gay.

“Jack and Vincent were in a romantic relationship many years ago,” Chu wrote. “Both identify as gay.”