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Blizzard's Diversity Chart showing activision blizzard characters from overwatch rated on a radar chart.

Blizzard's Diversity Chart

Part of a series on Blizzard Entertainment. [View Related Entries]

Updated May 18, 2022 at 01:55PM EDT by Zach.

Added May 13, 2022 at 04:47PM EDT by Philipp.

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About

Blizzard Diversity Chart, officially called Diversity Space Tool, refers to a tool developed by Activision-Blizzard's subsidiary King for the purpose of designing new video game characters. The tool, which allows rating a character on their representation of culture, ethnicity, age, ability, body type, gender identity and sexual orientation, has become a subject of viral discussions and parodies immediately after being made public. In memes using the format as an exploitable template, users typically add other characters or people from pop culture to the chart and assign them humorous attributes on the graph.

Origin

On May 12th, 2022, the Activision-Blizzard blog[1] published an article "King's Diversity Space Tool: A Leap Forward for Inclusion in Gaming," presenting a Diversity Space Tool developed by Blizzard's subsidiary King that has been used for the purpose of appraising character design based on a number of characteristics, such as their representation of culture, ethnicity, age, ability, gender diversity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic background (showcase image shown below). The tool is visualized via a radar chart displaying a rank for each of the characteristics.


OVERWATCH Public Characters Signed in as Kristina Olofsson All public characters in the project. Culture Characters Characters Filter characters... Socioeconomic Background Race • Ana + CREATE CHARACTER Groups Ana • Public Characters Public Characters 29 I Ashe My Characters 29 (+1 draft) Sexual Orientation Age Bastion Groups Brigitte + CREATE GROUP D.Va II Filter groups... Doomfist Gender Identity Cognitive Ability Difficulty * 8 Genji Difficulty ** 12 Hanzo Difficulty *** 9 Facial Features/Beauty Physical Ability Junkrat Morale: Evil 7 Body Type Morale: Good 13 Lúcio Morale: Neutral 7 МcCree Role: Damage 16 Ana Mei Role: Support 6 Culture O O This character is public. All project members can view and comment. 4 Only you and 1 other collaborator can edit this character. Mercy Egyptian 7 Role: Tank 7 Race O Role: Support x Difficulty *** * Morale: Neutral X Moira Arab 7 Description Age O Orisa B I U H1 Н2 H3 !! 99 60 7 BIOGRAPHY Pharah Cognitive Ability O • Real Name: Ana Amari, Age: 60 • Occupation: Bounty Hunter • Base of Operations: Cairo, Egypt . Affiliation: Overwatch (formerly) Reason Reaper Physical Ability O One eyed 4 Reinhardt "EVERYONE MUST FIND THEIR CAUSE." Body Type O Slim + curvy Roadhog Facial Features/Beauty O Soldier: 76 Slightly aged 1 Gender Identity O Sombra Woman Sexual Orientation O Symmetra Heterosexual Torbjörn II Socioeconomic Background O Middle class 다 다 OVERWATCH Role: Support Signed in as Kristina Olofsson Support heroes empower their allies, healing and Culture shielding them, b0osting their damage, and providing vital utility. As support, you're the backbone of your Characters team's survival. Socioeconomic Background Race + CREATE CHARACTER Add character... Public Characters 29 II Filter characters... My Characters 29 (+1 draft) Ana Sexual Orientation Age Groups Brigitte + CREATE GROUP Lúcio Filter groups.. Mercy Difficulty * 8 Gender Identity Cognitive Ability Moira Difficulty ** 12 Zenyatta Difficulty *** 9 Gender: Men 14 Gender: Women 14 Facial Features / Beauty Physical Ability Morale: Evil 8 Body Type Morale: Good 14 Facial Gender Sexual Socioeconc Morale: Neutral 7 Cognitive Physical Body Type Features / Identity OrientationBackgroune Culture O Race O Age ® O Ability ® Ability Beauty O Role: Damage 16 Groups Role: Support 6 • Gender: Men 2.929 1.643 2.857 0.571 1.857 0.714 1.286 0.000 0.357 0.929 • Gender: Women 3.286 2.357 1.357 0.714 0.500 1.143 0.571 5.000 0.357 0.357 Role: Tank 7 • Morale: Evil 2.250 1.500 2.125 0.375 1.375 0.375 1.000 2.500 0.000 1.250 • Morale: Good 1.500 3.214 1.714 0.714 1.000 1.643 1.071 2.500 0.357 0.357 • Morale: Neutral 4.286 3.286 2.571 1.429 1.286 0.000 0.429 2.143 0.714 0.429 • Role: Damage 3.250 2.438 1.563 0.813 1.438 0.750 1.063 2.188 0.625 1.000 • Role: Support 2.833 2.167 2.333 0.833 1.000 0.333 0.833 3.333 0.000 0.333 • Role: Tank 3.429 0.571 2.857 0.714 0.714 1.714 0.571 2.143 0.000 0.000

The took identifies what stereotypical characters in different genres look like, which are not always the most conducive or representative of diversity. It helps identify those stereotypes, while also helping creatives look closer at their designs, so they can dissect their own assumptions and presets. It also helps identify opportunities for more diverse character narratives, to ensure that we are not only creating diverse characters in appearance alone.

On May 13th, 2022, gaming and culture news website Fanbyte[2] reported on the tool, describing it as "coming off as mildly dystopian." On the same day, Fanbyte's Twitter[3] account shared the article, with the tweet describing the tool as "fucking weird." The tweet accumulated over 710 retweets, 2,300 quote tweets and 4,300 likes in three hours (shown below).


LIVE twitch.tv/fanbyte fanbyte @FanbyteMedia Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio... Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual Ethnicity orientation 2 1 Gender identity Age Body type Ability 2:34 PM · May 13, 2022 · TweetDeck Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard

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In the following hours on May 13th, 2022, multiple users replied and quote-tweeted the post, criticizing Blizzard for being "out of touch" and employing a corporative approach to the issue of diversity in gaming. For example, a quote tweet[4] by user @mrfeelswildride describing the tool as "a deeply psychotic thing to produce" received over 220 retweets and 1,400 likes in three hours (shown below, left). A post by Twitter[5] user @G0ffThew gained over 140 retweets and 850 likes (shown below, center). A joke about the tool tweeted[6] by video game journalist Jim Stephanie Sterling gained over 260 retweets and 1,900 likes (shown below, right).


Mind Snapping Over Pizza Hut Not Having MvC2 ... @mrfeelswildride what a deeply psychotic thing to produce fanbyte LIVE twitch.tv/fanbyte @FanbyteMedia · 2h Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio.. Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual Ethnicity orientation Gender identity Age Body type Ability 2:40 PM · May 13, 2022 · Twitter Web App Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard Geoff Thew @GOffThew So Blizzard's metric for character diversity *literally* revolves (in clockwise order) around a hypothetical straight, western, white, college-age, able-bodied, skinny, cis male. Pretty easy to tell that from playing their games, but it's wild that they'd just say it out loud. fanbyte @FanbyteMedia · 2h Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio... Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual Ethnicity orientation 1 3 Gender identity Age Body type Ability 3:07 PM · May 13, 2022 · Twitter for iPhone Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard Commander Stephanie Sterling ... @JimSterling "Looks great Scott, can we maybe crank up that ethnicity slider a little?" fanbyte LIVE twitch.tv/fanbyte @FanbyteMedia · 2h Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio. Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual Ethnicity orientation ...---- 1 3 Gender identity Age Body type Ability 3:23 PM · May 13, 2022 · Twitter Web App Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard

Apart from discussions, the showcase image for the tool depicting Overwatch characters Zarya, Lucio and Torbjörn and their respective placements on the diversity radar chart has been parodied. For example, on May 13th, Twitter[7] user @ChrisHawkner posted a meme referencing JoJo Bizarre Adventure that gained over 740 views and 25 likes in two hours (shown below).


Various Examples


BOI ... @Bolverk15 Replying to @FanbyteMedia Activision/Blizzard categorizing minorities 2:51 PM · May 13, 2022 · Twitter for Android Blizzard, Why cant you just be normal? Diversity Space Me:hod Body Diversity Space Method Culture 1 Sexual Ethnicity orientation Gender Age Body type Ability charmeur
@selinaposting blizzard really saw their dying PR n went "RACE TIER LIST RACE TIER LIST RACE TIER LIST RACE TIER LIST" fanbyte LIVE twitch.tv/fanbyte O @FanbyteMedia · 2h Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio. Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual orientation Ethnicity -- ------ 1 Gender identity Age Body type Ability 3:21 PM · May 13, 2022 · Twitter Web App Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard flower ponders the leaf @Retrospect53 ... minmaxing my levelling and hitting the Lesbian stat softcap like a Dark Souls build fanbyte LIVE twitch.tv/fanbyte @FanbyteMedia · 2h Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio... Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual Ethnicity orientation ....----. 1 Gender identity Age Body type Ability 3:21 PM · May 13, 2022 · TweetDeck Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard Buns ... @SuperButterBuns You've heard of the gender spectrum Now get ready for the gender pie chart fanbyte LIVE twitch.tv/fanbyte O @FanbyteMedia · 2h Activision-Blizzard-King introduces a diversity tool to rate character diversity on metrics like gender identity and ethnicity and it's f------ weird. fanbyte.com/news/activisio. Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual orientation Ethnicity -------- 1 Gender identity Age Body type Ability 2:59 PM · May 13, 2022 · Twitter for Android Picture from: Overwatch, Blizzard

Template


Diversity Space Method Culture Sexual Ethnicity orientation Gender identity Age Body type Ability

Search Interest

External References

[1] Activision-Blizzard – KING’S DIVERSITY SPACE TOOL: A LEAP FORWARD FOR INCLUSION IN GAMING

[2] Fanbyte – Activision Inexplicably Introduces Tool to Rate Character Diversity Metrics

[3] Twitter – @FanbyteMedia

[4] Twitter – @G0ffThew

[5] Twitter – @mrfeelswildride

[6] Twitter – @JimSterling

[7] Twitter – @ChrisHawkner

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