In any titles such as “Overwatch,” support heroes play a significant role in the overall success of a team. They are there to keep the team members alive, as they advance against the opposing team. These heroes, in one way or another, barely get hate from the community.
However, a popular support hero in “Overwatch” is starting to become a recipient of hate. This is none other than Mercy, the angelic character who is capable of healing and boosting her allies. It is definitely interesting to know why such hero of huge importance gets to experience loathing in-game.
It is due to Mercy being a female
A thread on the official forum site of the game became an epitome of hate, showcasing people’s disgust towards the aforementioned hero. The thread basically reads, “Why aren’t there more female eSports players?” Obviously, the question is primarily targeted on the eSports side of things. However, the thread became a receiver of an infamous punchline: “Because they are all Mercy mains.”
It holds true that there are lots of female players in “Overwatch,” but their numbers are greatly reduced in competitive matches. Surprisingly, this is due to the toxicity level present in the game. The moment players know there is a female player they either resort to bashing or dropping sexist comments.
Somehow, in one way or another, this negative view towards female players gradually became a controversial topic in the community.
Female players are too delicate
Some “Overwatch” players believe that this is due to female players being too delicate for the stress and/or rigors of the game. Instead of playing a more competitive hero, they resort to using utility heroes such as, well, Mercy.
This, later on, gave birth to an idea that women, regardless of skills, would always go for a support character. Worse, this negated to the notion that support heroes lack the skill to become competitive and thus were deemed utility characters. Of course, they are there to support, not to carry the team.
Sad thing, though, this sexism in “Overwatch” is still present, as well as on other titles in the video game industry.
Of course, there are tons of female pro players and all players will agree to that. It is just that this sexism notion automatically gets activated whenever players notice a female player in matches. It just degrades not only the quality of the competitiveness but also the overall gameplay experience of players who do not criticize women. Unfortunately, this is something that cannot just be stopped, and even Blizzard knows this.
