Tracer (Overwatch)

Tracer
Overwatch character
Promotional Overwatch image featuring Tracer
First appearance	Overwatch beta (2015)
First game	Heroes of the Storm (2016)
Created by	Blizzard Entertainment
Designed by	Jeff Goodman
Voiced by	Cara Theobold (English) Emiri Katō (Japanese)

Tracer is a player character appearing in the 2016 video game Overwatch, a Blizzard Entertainment–developed first-person shooter, and its related animated and literary media. Although Tracer is from the Overwatch universe, she was introduced in Blizzard's crossover multiplayer online battle arena game, Heroes of the Storm, in an April 2016 update for that game.

The character, who is of British origin, is known by her call sign "Tracer", although her real name is Lena Oxton. In Overwatch, her gameplay mechanics are noted for being one of the fastest in terms of speed, but weakest in terms of health. Tracer has also been noted to be a peppy and energetic character. She makes use of her speed through teleportation and time traveling abilities that are caused by an in-universe accident, which left her unable to maintain a physical form in the present time, until Winston invented a device allowing her to control her physical form.

Tracer is one of the more recognizable Overwatch characters, having prominent roles in the game's official media, including promotional works and the game's cover art, as well as fan art. Her profile rose even more so when the character was given additional media attention through online controversies—one surrounding one of her victory poses, and another surrounding her prominence in fan-produced pornography that Blizzard has made efforts to remove.

Tracer was one of the first twelve Overwatch characters introduced at BlizzCon 2014. Scott Mercer, the principal designer on Overwatch stated that Blizzard's canceled project, Titan had a character with Tracer's abilities. Jeff Goodman, the lead hero designer for Overwatch had a "big hand" in Tracer's design; she was the first hero designed for the game and was used to test the basic gameplay.Overwatch's assistant game director Aaron Keller expressed how Tracer's three abilities maintained throughout the game's development, as opposed to the game's other heroes, stating that, "from the beginning, she originated as a 'whole' hero." However, her health pool was nerfed during the game's late closed beta stages.