Overwatch has one of the most positive depictions of Arabs I've seen in a video games

[LambdaTeos]

I never felt more represented in a videogame than when i first heard Sombra say "Asustame panteon!"

Favorite quote to this day

Too bad a lot of people don't understand it but god I love using it...

That and "did you mean to do that? " or "were you done talking?"

 

[Swiggins]

Torbjorn has like 8 kids so him too.

I knew I was forgetting somebody

But I mean, really, who could resist that mighty beard?

 

[SomewhatGroovy]

They are Egyptian I thought. Wouldn't that make them African?

.

 

[mreddie]

Uh about that

She was part of the Los Muertos gang and then later joined Talon

Granted her methods seem to be for mostly good reasons

Mexico in OW does seem to not be the usual drugland it's depicted as, it's basically where their Elon Musk is at.

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Mexico in OW does seem to not be the usual drugland it's depicted as, it's basically where their Elon Musk is at.

Same with Africa and the Middle East. Oasis in Iraq and Numbani (made up country kind of like Wakanda) are well developed

 

[Psychoward]

Mexico in OW does seem to not be the usual drugland it's depicted as, it's basically where their Elon Musk is at.

Uh

https://youtu.be/cPRRupAM4DI

Plus yeah it's host to one of two organized gangs in the universe

There's a really big divide between the rich and the poor there though yeah

 

[Dance Inferno]

.

Perfect gif in more ways than one.

 

[Kuksune]

Yeah both Ana and Pharrah are really great characters. I love both of the designs and I use them very often in QP and comp.

It would be awesome if they could do Swedes a little better.

 

[AlexFlame116]

Poor Australia became a wasteland for junkers.

 

[Cocaloch]

Poor Australia became a wasteland for junkers.

hmmm

Spoiler

I kid

 

[Ezalc]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't play the game:

It's good to see that you found somebody who you feel is a great representation for you OP, as a Brazilian with just a passing knowledge of the heroes in the game I cannot agree.

Lucio is just another party centric dude from Rio de janeiro because that's basically the only city people from outside the country know exists. So they do pretty well with some characters but I don't feel like Lucio goes beyond stereotypes for Brasil. Just like Laura in SFV.

If anybody who is Brazilian and plays the game more wants to chime in, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in regards to his characterization because I don't know anything more about it besides the fact that he's a DJ.

 

[Danjin44]

That's great and all but it would been have much better if we had positive depiction of Arabs or Iran in game with actual story.

 

[Toxi]

Poor Australia became a wasteland for junkers.

Nux and Immortan Joe are a fun duo.

 

[Pancho]

I love the diverse cast of overwatch and how it avoids the usual stereotypes. I just wish the community wasn't as toxic

 

[Cocaloch]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't play the game:

It's good to see that you found somebody who you feel is a great representation for you OP, as a Brazilian with just a passing knowledge of the heroes in the game I cannot agree.

Lucio is just another party centric dude from Rio de janeiro because that's basically the only city people from outside the country know exists. So they do pretty well with some characters but I don't feel like Lucio goes beyond stereotypes for Brasil. Just like Laura in SFV.

If anybody who is Brazilian and plays the game more wants to chime in, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in regards to his characterization because I don't know anything more about it besides the fact that he's a DJ.

Lucio is probably the worst stereotype in the game besides widowmaker.

That's great and all but it would been have much better if we had positive depiction of Arabs or Iran in game with actual story.

More games with diverse settings are always a good thing, but that's no reason to knock Overwatch, which does indeed have a story.

 

[Red Arremer]

I remember there a discussion about an article a while back that said that the depiction of various cultures in Overwatch was bad, and one person in particular being extremely upset over the eye tattoo on the Amaris' eyes, claiming that it was an attempt of cherrypicking "only the cool stuff" out of the culture by mixing Ancient Egyptian and modern Arab.

What do you think about that, OP?

 

[Misha]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't play the game:

It's good to see that you found somebody who you feel is a great representation for you OP, as a Brazilian with just a passing knowledge of the heroes in the game I cannot agree.

Lucio is just another party centric dude from Rio de janeiro because that's basically the only city people from outside the country know exists. So they do pretty well with some characters but I don't feel like Lucio goes beyond stereotypes for Brasil. Just like Laura in SFV.

If anybody who is Brazilian and plays the game more wants to chime in, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in regards to his characterization because I don't know anything more about it besides the fact that he's a DJ.

iirc he was originally made to be canadian (hence deadmau5ish and hockey skins). they didn't really change him enough to be specifically brazilian tbh
love the character but yeah


edit. apparently that was debunked at some point. weird that he's in the situation where a lot of people could take that as a serious theory

 

[Dance Inferno]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't play the game:

It's good to see that you found somebody who you feel is a great representation for you OP, as a Brazilian with just a passing knowledge of the heroes in the game I cannot agree.

Lucio is just another party centric dude from Rio de janeiro because that's basically the only city people from outside the country know exists. So they do pretty well with some characters but I don't feel like Lucio goes beyond stereotypes for Brasil. Just like Laura in SFV.

If anybody who is Brazilian and plays the game more wants to chime in, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in regards to his characterization because I don't know anything more about it besides the fact that he's a DJ.

I don't think Lucio is such a great representation of Brazil. He has an American accent, is a DJ, has a soccer skin, and speaks no Portuguese. It's a parade of stereotypes and it lacks even the baseline Brazilian accent that could have at least given it a shade of legitimacy.

 

[Lulubop]

I like Rashid a lot more. He's a fun loving dude with a heart of gold, very likable.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Egyptian sistas

<333333333333333

 

[Yearsoflurking]

Egyptians are Arabs.

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term to many there.

 

[Pancho]

I don't think Lucio is such a great representation of Brazil. He has an American accent, is a DJ, has a soccer skin, and speaks no Portuguese. It's a parade of stereotypes and it lacks even the baseline Brazilian accent that could have at least given it a shade of legitimacy.

Iirc he was gonna be canadian until last minute, thats why he doesnt have an accent and thats why one of the alternate attires is a hockey uniform

 

[Cocaloch]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term

What? I've never heard this in my life, and I know a lot of Arabic people who are not big pan-Arabists.

Also ever heard of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic, which Nasser was behind?

 

[Abilidebob]

I'll preface this by saying that I don't play the game:

It's good to see that you found somebody who you feel is a great representation for you OP, as a Brazilian with just a passing knowledge of the heroes in the game I cannot agree.

Lucio is just another party centric dude from Rio de janeiro because that's basically the only city people from outside the country know exists. So they do pretty well with some characters but I don't feel like Lucio goes beyond stereotypes for Brasil. Just like Laura in SFV.

If anybody who is Brazilian and plays the game more wants to chime in, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in regards to his characterization because I don't know anything more about it besides the fact that he's a DJ.

I WISH he was more "Brazilian". As already said in the thread I can't really tell that he's Brazilian. Right now he's as Brazilian as, I don't know, Will Smith is.

 

[Danjin44]

More games with diverse settings are always a good thing, but that's no reason to knock Overwatch, which does indeed have a story.

I'm talking about having single player so I can experiance the story rather than read about it.

 

[Red Arremer]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term

What? This is the very first time I've ever heard that, even Arabs I know refer to themselves as Arab.

It's a term used to refer to the Arabic-dominated cultural region of the Arabian peninsula, Egypt and the Mashriq+Levant region.

 

[CountAntonius]

iirc he was originally made to be canadian (hence deadmau5ish and hockey skins). they didn't really change him enough to be specifically brazilian tbh
love the character but yeah

I don't think Lucio is such a great representation of Brazil. He has an American accent, is a DJ, has a soccer skin, and speaks no Portuguese. It's a parade of stereotypes and it lacks even the baseline Brazilian accent that could have at least given it a shade of legitimacy.

Yep. Lucio is Canadian they switched him up last minute.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

Lucio is probably the worst stereotype in the game besides widowmaker.

Lucio is not a stereotype.

 

[gablekevin]

What's the problem with Rashid?

Im not sure if there is. I have always heard nothing but good things about him and he was also first revealed to everyone at a gaming event in Dubai. Not only that but he is regarded as one of the best new characters in SFV which always helps.

 

[AppleSeason]

"Diversity sells"

I guess that the more and better you represent different people while avoiding stereotypes and bad depictions, the more people that will buy your product.

 

[Azoor]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term to many there.

You do realize the HQ of the Arab League is in Cairo, right?

 

[Ezalc]

Iirc he was gonna be canadian until last minute, thats why he doesnt have an accent and thats why one of the alternate attires is a hockey uniform

So he wasn't even made with the intention to be Brazilian and they just fell back on stereotypes? Wonderful.

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

I like Rashid a lot more. He's a fun loving dude with a heart of gold, very likable.

I like Rashid's theme

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term to many there.

Never heard this before. Its my perspective from what I have learned in classes about the Middle East that speaking Arabic is what makes someone an Arab, not being from Saudi Arabia.

 

[easterislandhead]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term to many there.

Since when. I have alot of Arab relatives. Never heard of that.

 

[Toxi]

McCree is the most stereotypical character.

He's just a stereotype everybody loves.

 

[Cocaloch]

Lucio is not a stereotype.

I'll preface this by saying that I don't play the game:

It's good to see that you found somebody who you feel is a great representation for you OP, as a Brazilian with just a passing knowledge of the heroes in the game I cannot agree.

Lucio is just another party centric dude from Rio de janeiro because that's basically the only city people from outside the country know exists. So they do pretty well with some characters but I don't feel like Lucio goes beyond stereotypes for Brasil. Just like Laura in SFV.

If anybody who is Brazilian and plays the game more wants to chime in, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in regards to his characterization because I don't know anything more about it besides the fact that he's a DJ.

Are you going to tell this Brazilian person that they are wrong?

McCree is the most stereotypical character.

He's just a stereotype everybody loves.

More than the French Femme Fatale?

 

[Rynocirator]

Throwing shade at Rashid?

 

[PSqueak]

I don't think Lucio is such a great representation of Brazil. He has an American accent, is a DJ, has a soccer skin, and speaks no Portuguese. It's a parade of stereotypes and it lacks even the baseline Brazilian accent that could have at least given it a shade of legitimacy.

Only in the NA dub, Latin American Spanish dub gives him the accent and Portuguese voice lines.

I assume others do too.

McCree is the most stereotypical character.

He's just a stereotype everybody loves.

This too!

 

[BlizzKrut]

I like Rashid's theme

The Turbulent Wind!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGrSt5wyQVE

 

[Azoor]

Never heard this before. Its my perspective from what I have learned in classes about the Middle East that speaking Arabic is what makes someone an Arab, not being from Saudi Arabia.

I'm an Arab and I've never heard anyone saying that the term "Arab" is offensive.

 

[sems4arsenal]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term to many there.

Ummmm no it isn't. I'm Egyptian.

 

[slick7rick]

Um no. Arab isn't a race or phenotype. It's actually a very offensive term to many there.

Thank you for your concern, but no it's not an offensive term. Source: been an Arab for 30+ years

 

[Red Arremer]

[...] speaking Arabic is what makes someone an Arab, not being from Saudi Arabia.

Not really, the other Northern African countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya) generally are not considered to be Arab, but Berber. Arabic also is a very wide-spread language among many Muslim countries, since it is used as the main language of the faith.

The term Arab has to do with the culture, which also was cemented historically and politically at this point, rather than based purely on language.

Arabs from Saudi Arabia are specifically referred to as Saudi Arabian or Saudis.

At least, to my knowledge.

 

[ElBoxyBrown]

Are you going to tell this Brazilian person that they are wrong?

He looks like every other dude that's really into EDM.

 

[Usobuko]

Isn't it great to see yourself in media? I'm not Arab msyelf, but seeing a gay girl (Tracer) as the "main character" of such a big game makes me super happy.

Yup.

I watched wonder woman or big budget blockbuster to see how far diversity come along.

I'm particularly impressed with the native genocide and the brown guy would be actor but born into the wrong skin color lines.

 

[Spinosaurus]

As we all know, Arabs like myself didn't quite have the best of representations in video games in the past 20 years or so, dozens f FPS games portrayed them in a very horrible light and others have portrayed them in a very stereotypical light (looking at you SFV),

Are you talking about Rashid? I'm arab and I love him! I don't know what's stereotypical about him outside his awfully silly battle costume.

I'm big on Shaheen too, but Ana's definitely the best of the bunch. I've been really happy with the representation of us lately.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Yearsoflurking about to return to his years of lurking

 

[Yearsoflurking]

Never heard this before. Its my perspective from what I have learned in classes about the Middle East that speaking Arabic is what makes someone an Arab, not being from Saudi Arabia.

Lol i pushed send too quick go back and read

 

[capitalCORN]

More than the French Femme Fatale?

She's blue. Clearly an Asari.