Fans Appreciate Trans Character in Watch Dogs 2

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A Look Back: Trailblazing Black Trans Character in Watch Dogs 2

Watch Dogs 2, a 2016 open-world hacking video game, served as a pathfinder in its time for diverse character representation. One character, in particular, was a trailblazing Black trans woman that didn’t just exist for comic relief or as an insignificant detail.

A recent viral twitter post has reignited conversations about the video game. The tweet stated that the game was “wild” and “ahead of its time” as it featured a Black trans woman in the role of the mentor to Marcus Holloway, the protagonist.

“They had a black trans woman as the protagonist’s mentor figure and nobody seemed to care,” was the succinct comment accompanying the tweet. Remarkably, the tweet amassed over one million views and got around 22,000 likes, clearly resonating with audiences old and new.

Who is Miranda Comay in Watch Dogs 2?

The character in focus here is Miranda Comay, a councilwoman in the virtual San Francisco who serves as a guide, mentor, and supportive figure to Marcus throughout the game.

Trans character Miranda Comay from 2016’s Watch Dogs 2.

Miranda’s introduction comes after Marcus seeks information about the secretive pseudo-religious cult known as the New Dawn. However, she is much more than a plot device to deliver information on the cult. As a former victim of New Dawn’s harassment, Miranda has her own battle to fight. Despite having some reservations about DedSec, the hacking group led by Marcus, she helps uncover the truth.

Prior to becoming a councilwoman, New Dawn intruded on her privacy by exposing information about her surgeries – a veiled reference to gender-affirming procedures. Though difficult, she remains unapologetic and shows courage in the face of adversity, stating that she has “nothing to hide”.

Reaction to the Character

While the introduction of the character was largely without fanfare at the time, fans recently expressed their surprise at discovering that not only did a 2016 video game feature a fleshed-out Black trans character, but that she wasn’t served up as comic relief or sidelined as a minor character.

“I think the game came out before all the controversy emerged, so no one cared because it wasn’t a culture war issue yet,” one user suggested. They were referring to the Gamergate controversy that raged more than 10 years ago around videogame culture and representation.

Others also chimed in about Watch Dogs 2, referring to it as a “cult hit” despite initial issues with its release, such as overhype and a problematic PC release issues. Some fans drew attention to the game’s setting of San Francisco, joking that the inclusion of queer characters was unsurprising given the city’s reputation.

The Importance of Representation

While the game developers certainly didn’t make a fuss about Miranda’s identity at the time of release, revisiting this character underscores the quiet progress made in terms of representation versus recent, more contentious situations in video gaming culture.

Miranda is a Black trans woman who commands respect and influence in her fictional world. She is courageous, competent, fully-realized, and not defined solely by her gender identity. The presence of Miranda Comay as a character is a wonderful testament to the forward-thinking representation in video games. As a character in a major video game, Miranda helped challenge norms and push for a richer, more diverse cast of characters within this immersive medium.

Reflecting on the fan reactions and wider discourse about Watch Dogs 2, it is evident that representation matters, and video games can play a significant role in pushing that conversation forward. The ability to play as and interact with diverse characters adds depth to the gaming experience while promoting inclusivity.

This consideration can create not only a more immersive and richly-detailed gaming world but also better represent the diversity and complexity of players themselves.

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