Overwatch 2 2023 Pride event: Start date, map changes, new lore, cosmetics, more

Overwatch 2 Season 4 has one more event up its sleeves and it’s to celebrate Pride month, with map changes, a new short story to expand the lore, and much more in store for fans. Here is all you need to know about the 2023 Pride event. 

For the first time in Overwatch, Pride month is being officially highlighted in-game in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Overwatch as a game has long featured characters of diverse sexualities such as Tracer, Soldier 76, and the recent addition of Lifeweaver, and it seems the upcoming event is here to further bolster the game’s diverse representation.

Here is all you need to know about the Pride event including its start date, map changes, a new short story that looks to expand Overwatch’s lore, and cosmetics which are all coming into the game. 

Overwatch 2 2023 Pride Event: Start date

The Overwatch 2 Pride event will start on June 1, which is of course in line with the start of Pride month. 

Presumably the Pride event will be taking place for the rest of Season 4, as the devs gear up for the release of Season 5 slated for a mid-June rollout.

Overwatch 2 2023 Pride Event: Map changes to Midtown

In an effort to bring the event into the world of Overwatch, Midtown will be getting a slight facelift. Instead of USA flags dotting the map, a fair few of them will be replaced with Pride flags for the event. 

According to Blizzard’s blog post, the changes mean Midtown now takes place just shortly after a Pride parade in the world of Overwatch. 

In addition to the Midtown changes, Gibraltar also had a small change in the defender spawn. Now in the hero’s quarters, Tracer’s desk has a picture of her and her girlfriend, Emily.

The changes are similar to the seasonal adjustments with maps such as Eichenwalde during Halloween, Kings Row during Christmas, and Lijiang Tower during the Lunar New Year.

There will be no fundamental changes made to the map other than visual decorations. 

Overwatch 2 2023 Pride Event: Short Story

Releasing with the Pride Event is a new short story from the devs, a new piece of lore in preparation for the upcoming PvE events. 

The short story, titled “As You Are”, sees Baptiste, Pharah, and Cassidy in a plane flying back after a mission in Seoul. In the story, we read Baptiste reflecting on his time in Talon, how he was recruited into Overwatch, and his interactions with the other members of Overwatch, 

You can find the short story here. 

Overwatch 2 2023 Pride Event: Player icons, name cards, and more

Players can gain a plethora of new icons, name cards, and a free spray during the event. All of them will be automatically added to every player’s account on June 1, along with all future accounts created. 

The player icons and name cards feature a plethora of LGBTQ+ flags that players can equip to represent their varying sexualities and identities. 

Included with the name cards and icons is a free spray players will get of Tracer and her girlfriend, Emily. Emily was first introduced in the Overwatch comic, Reflections, and is finally making her first appearance in the game. 

And that is all there is to know of Overwatch 2’s Pride Event. Should there be any changes, we will make sure to update you here.