Overwatch 2 Kicks Off Pride 2025 With Soldier: 76 Focus, New Story, and In-Game Rewards
Celebrate Pride 2025 in Overwatch 2 with free rewards, new story, and community events.
Overwatch 2 Kicks Off Pride 2025 With Soldier: 76 Focus, New Story, and In-Game Rewards
Blizzard Entertainment is launching Pride 2025 in Overwatch 2 with a month-long celebration running from May 30 to June 30. The event features in-game rewards, a character-driven short story, and community initiatives both online and at the company’s headquarters in Irvine, California.
Soldier: 76 Takes Center Stage in Pride Celebration
This year’s festivities prominently feature Soldier: 76, one of the game’s earliest LGBTQ+ heroes. Players who log into Overwatch 2 during the event window will automatically receive the new "Resilient" Rare skin for the aging veteran, along with a rainbow smoke bomb emote. The Midtown map also returns with Pride-themed visuals, including colorful confetti, rainbow crosswalks, and festive parade decor.
Soldier: 76 also stars in a new Overwatch short story titled "Futures Past," where he teams up with support hero Illari. Set in the town of Runasapi, the narrative explores themes of memory and emotional healing as Jack Morrison revisits his past, including a relationship with his former partner Vincent. The story includes newly illustrated scenes of the couple’s youth, offering players a deeper glimpse into the character’s personal life.
Community Engagement: Art, Coloring Pages, and Campus Display
Outside the game, Blizzard is encouraging fan participation through a Pride-themed art collage. Submissions—digital or physical—will be reviewed by the Overwatch community team, and select entries will be featured in a real-world display on Blizzard’s campus. Fans are also invited to download special coloring pages spotlighting LGBTQ+ characters from the game, including Tracer and Emily, Soldier: 76 and Vincent, and the recently introduced Venture.
More Than Pride: Season 17 Looms
While the Pride celebration stands on its own, Overwatch 2 players can also look forward to the upcoming launch of Season 17 on June 24. The new season brings a Mythic skin for D.Va, a Mythic Weapon skin for Reaper, and the introduction of the Aatlis map for Flashpoint mode. Updates are also planned for the Stadium game mode.
In the meantime, the ongoing Stadium: Initiation mini-event offers an Epic Loot Box reward for players who join a group and complete a few matches before the new season begins.
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With in-game representation, a reflective story, and an emphasis on community creativity, Overwatch 2’s Pride 2025 event continues Blizzard’s tradition of honoring LGBTQ+ voices both inside and outside the game world.