Widowmaker (Overwatch)

Widowmaker is the alias of Amélie Lacroix, a character who first appeared in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person hero shooter, later featured in its resulting franchise and subsequent 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 a French ballerina-turned-sleeper agent for the terrorist organization Talon, becoming a high-profile sniper assassin after killing her husband. 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.