Overwatch 2players in Central and Eastern Europe are shocked to find that they can’t access the Pride event, even if their country doesn’t have any laws againstLGBTQ+material. WhileBlizzardhasn’t confirmed which countries won’t be able to participate in the event, players in Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Lithuania say that it’s not appearing on their accounts.
While many in these regions may harbour anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs - with Hungary and Lithuania passing homophobic legislation - queer players in these countries feel abandoned and confused by this decision. Some point to the fact that other games that feature LGBTQ+ content have launched without issue, and say that Blizzard itself is discriminating against players for not releasing the update in their country.
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“There is no reason for Pride event stuff to be blocked in Poland, and yet it is,” says Blizzard Forums user,Polar. “Contrary to popular belief, people in Poland do not get imprisoned for being part of the LGBTQ+, and although expressing your identity in this country can be hard with the current social-political landscape, there are in fact no laws that prohibit you from doing so.
“Poland is not like Russia. The comic in which it was revealed that Tracer was in a relationship with another girl was NOT censored in Poland […] Please fix it. I want to see the rainbow Midtown.”
Players in other regions are also finding that they can’t access the event, with another user sharing how they felt when they realised they wouldn’t be able to see the Pride material.
“Gaming is my escape where I can be accepted, free and I do not have to think about the horrors of the world,” says Venudite. “But now Blizzard’s blatantly disrespectful event just further showed me what a horrible situation and world I live in.
“Pride is for everyone, not only for those who are privileged enough to be openly who they are in their country.”
While there are anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes in Romania and Poland, the same can be said for many countries which are able to access the event. There are no laws prohibiting Blizzard from releasing it in these countries either, implying that the decision was made based on attitudes in the regions.
In the case of Hungary and Lithuania, however, it’s a bit clearer how Blizzard reached this decision.Both countrieshave laws similar toRussia’s “gay propaganda” ban, which prohibits any material that “promotes” non-heterosexual relationships from being shown to under-18s. It’s possible that putting Pride flags in Overwatch could see the game’s sales restricted in these countries, as it is currently rated as appropriate for anyone aged 12 or above.
Blizzard is yet to respond to these specific complaints, but it did say that it made the decision to restrict the event in certain regionsin order to “protect” its players. TheGamer has contacted Blizzard for further comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
