Widowmaker (Overwatch)

Widowmaker
Overwatch character
Widowmaker's appearance in Overwatch.
First game	Overwatch (2016)
Created by	Jeff Kaplan[1]
Designed by	Arnold Tsang[1] Roman Kenney (equipment)[2][3] Ben Zhang (weapon)[3]
Voiced by	Chloé Hollings[4]
In-universe information
Class	Damage
Nationality	French

Widowmaker is a character who first appeared in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter. She first appeared at the launch of the 2016 first-person hero shooter game Overwatch, and subsequently in its 2022 sequel, Overwatch 2. Conceived by Jeff Kaplan in the early development phases of the game, her design was fleshed out by Arnold Tsang and other Blizzard artists. Voiced by Chloé Hollings, 'Widowmaker' is the alias of Amélie Lacroix, a French ballerina-turned-sleeper agent for the terrorist organization Talon, who after killing her husband becomes a high-profile sniper assassin. Since the game's release she has appeared in various spinoff media related to the franchise, including comics and merchandise.

Widowmaker as a character was positively received, and was one of the most popular characters during the game's open-beta period. Reception on the sexuality of her design has been varied, with some arguing it gave her depth and did not detract from her character, while others argued it was a negative aspect of the games as a whole and a point of mockery towards both the character and Overwatch. Widowmaker's image has also been frequently used in unlicensed Overwatch-related pornography, produced by both fans of the game, as well as pornographic production companies. This has led to contrasting examinations of the works and how the character's depiction varies between fan works and professionally-made content.