Tracer | |
---|---|
Overwatch character | |
First appearance | Overwatch Cinematic Trailer (2014) |
First game | Heroes of the Storm (2016) |
Designed by | Geoff Goodman |
Voiced by | Cara Theobold |
In-universe information | |
Class | Damage |
Nationality | British |
Tracer is a character who appears in Overwatch, a franchise centered around first-person hero shooter video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Tracer was first seen in the 2014 Overwatch Cinematic Trailer short. She was introduced as a playable character in an April 2016 update for the crossover multiplayer online battle arena game Heroes of the Storm, nearly a month prior to the release of the first Overwatch game. She appeared again in Overwatch 2, a 2022 sequel to the original game.
The character, known in-universe as Lena Oxton, is of British origin and has been noted by video game outlets to be peppy and energetic. In the game, Tracer has low health, but is highly mobile with her skills including a teleportation-like ability and time-travel. Those abilities were caused by an accident that left her unable to maintain a physical form in the present until her friend and fellow Overwatch agent, Winston, invented the chronal accelerator, a device that allows her to control her own time frame.
Prominently featured in the franchise's official media and serving as the first game's cover girl, Tracer is one of the most recognizable Overwatch characters and one of the more commonly featured in its fan art. Tracer has attracted media coverage related to online controversies surrounding one of her in-game victory poses, as well as her prominence in fan-produced pornography, which Blizzard has tried to remove. The character has appeared in Overwatch animated media and a digital comic series based on the game. In her comic debut, she is revealed to be a lesbian, a depiction that was positively received by media outlets and players.