Weeping, Blizzard snatched an Overwatch sadie for us featuring Soldier: 76. Fred Tatasciore, the voice of the hardened vigilante, did a special dramatic reading of the latest short story, entitled ‘Futures Past.’ And it really does feel different.
With heartbreaking emojis and all, the official Overwatch account gave mention to the emotional weight that would be carried by the story, with the ominous words: “For Soldier: 76, letting go might be the hardest mission of them all.” It chronicles 76’s past, his pains, and what it means to go forth when all across the cosmos is poised to hold you back.
Fred Tatasciore has done a stellar job since the game’s release in bringing voice to the dramatized reading. With his rough voice, he cuts through the air, a little harsh at times, and always serious with delivery-a bit loud with action. The recording is online on YouTube, and I highly recommend finding it just to witness that extraordinary voice acting.`
Now, I shall tell you about the responses: messy as they’ve always been! Many of the responders are enthusiastic about the idea of spoken storytelling. For instance, user @rotvu commented, “thank u for finally making an audiobook <3”. Others just digressed. @FCh2001 joked with, “Love it when characters get reduced to their sexual preferences for people who don’t even play the game.” Classic Overwatch fandom mess.
Then the Spanish crowd came onto the scene. @cristianpalma93 said Mauga’s gun was “una mierda” (trash). Harsh, but hey, everyone has an opinion. And never-ending is the debate about Soldier:76’s sexuality between @ViralCellPhone and @ChaoticAddy disagreeing on whether he’s just “an interesting gay guy” or if there’s more to him.
Memes and shipping wars aside, this short story also reminds us that Overwatch lore runs deep. Even though one might consider the patches for the game… a bit of a calamity lately, the Blizzard storytellers still really know how to squeeze a tear from you: Their characters mourn; 76 has regrets, Tracer is bright, and Reaper… well, Reaper broods endlessly.
However, it’s not all about the lore; for those only interested in shooting stuff, they really do exist. @nicvis986 complains about delay on Xbox controller, @TeddyGracee requested old Mercy skins to come back, while @strstyler demands a Junker Queen dance emote. I’m all about that.
So if you’re a lore buff or just a big fan of hearing Fred Tatasciore, grab a listen to the ‘Futures Past’ reading. Heavy storytelling jammed into this absurd game, which sometimes snaps under the weight of having an actual story to tell. And maybe this is a hint that Blizzard is cooking up some more narrative content, or perhaps it’s not. Anyway, the fans of Soldier: 76 will appreciate it thoroughly.
