Fans fondly recall how Watch Dogs 2 had a fully-realised trans character and ‘no one gave a s**t’
Fans are remembering Miranda Comay from Watchdogs 2. (Ubisoft)
A viral post has reminded Watch Dogs 2 fans of a trailblazing Black trans character that serves as a timely reminder that trans representation in video games was once uncontroversial.
A post on X/Twitter on Sunday (26 May) responded to a clip from the 2016 open-world hacking video game, commenting that it was “wild” and, in many ways, ahead of its time.
“They had a Black trans woman as the protagonist’s mentor figure and nobody gave a s**t,” the post, which has been viewed more than one million times, and has 22,000 likes, read.
The user appears to be referring to San Francisco city councillor Miranda Comay, who mentors protagonist Marcus Holloway throughout the game.
A long-time friend of his family, Miranda is introduced after Marcus asks for information about the mysterious pseudo-religious cult New Dawn.
Miranda reveals that she has a long and bitter history with the cult, but that she isn’t too fond of Marcus’ hacking collective, DedSec, either.
Prior to her becoming a councilwoman, New Dawn harassed her and leaked information about her “surgeries,” seemingly alluding to gender-affirming procedures. While she admits that the ordeal was embarrassing, she has “nothing to hide”.
Fans responding to the post expressed surprise that not only did a game from 2016 feature a Black trans character, but that she is incredibly fleshed out and not simply the butt of a joke.
“I think the game came out before all the s**t happened so no one cared because it wasn’t a culture war issue yet,” one user suggested, referring to the Gamergate controversy of more than 10 years ago.
“Watch Dogs 2 is more of a cult hit,” another explained. “[Watch Dogs 1] burned people due to the overhype, and the initial PC launch was rough. Those who did eventually stick with it loved the game but it wasn’t really that popular.”
Others joked that, given the game is set in San Francisco, the appearance of queer characters isn’t exactly a shock.
