Overwatch 2 voice actor Lucie Pohl wants to see a scene where Mercy, the character she voices, shaves her legs in the popular Blizzard FPS game. Speaking to PCGamesN about the impact the Swiss healer has had on the wider gaming community, the Overwatch 2 VA believes that her character can stand for so much more than just being a pretty, strong woman.
“Next time I’m in an Overwatch session, I’m going to tell them to put in a scene where Mercy shaves,” says German-born Pohl, who is also a comedian and the mastermind behind playful podcast, Immigrant Jam. Her suggestion is part of a broader conversation regarding depictions of female characters in video games.
In an interview with PCGamesN (coming soon), Pohl also suggests it would be “revolutionary” for a character in a game to be unable to fight because they are on their period.
The discussion covers a breadth of topics relating to Pohl’s role as Mercy and the overall environment for women in gaming. A fan-favorite support hero, Mercy has grown iconic for being beautiful, empathetic, and brilliant. As such, Mercy has become a role model for many people, and for young women in particular.
Speaking about toxicity towards women in gaming, she tells PCGamesN that often women “go to something else when they may have been very good at whatever they were doing in that world [gaming]. And I think that’s sad,” she says.
However, she is adamant that succeeding in the space doesn’t necessarily mean leaning into expectations that strong women shouldn’t be vulnerable and must hide their emotions.
“To be a strong woman doesn’t mean you have to be a man,” she says, suggesting one of the things she loves most about Mercy is that the character outwardly appears to be a trope in the multiplayer game but is actually highly three-dimensional given her scientific background and commitment to integrity.
If you’re Mercy superfan, be sure to see where she stands on our Overwatch 2 tier list. Or, check out our guide to the best Overwatch 2 DPS heroes if you’re trying to break free of your reputation as a Hanzo main.