There are no left-handed heros in Overwatch

General Discussion
1

About 10% of the population is Left-Handed so, with 37 Characters in the game we should expect 3-4 lefties. I understand from a design point in an FPS why this is but, there are a few characters that could had been easily left oriented without making then awkward for the majority of people.

Here’s a list of the closest we get to lefties. This is based off their “main weapon” being in the dominant hand and considering their melee hand.

Moira
-Melees with both hands but I think there is a bias to here right (like 60%-70% right)
-I would say her primary weapon is on her right
-Her origin short, the frame with the rabat, holds tool in right hand but also pours liquid with left hand
Conclusion: ambiguous

Wrecking Ball
-Melees only with left mek arm/gun
-Controls mek with a similar setup to mouse and keyboard (aim with right hand, press buttons with left hand)
-His origin short he uses screwdriver with left welder with right
Conclusion: ambiguous but right leaning

Doomfist
-Shoots and melees with Left
-I would say his “main weapon” is the big fist even though it is default secondary fire
-In his origin short he shows an affinity to right hand dominant (punching, throwing and grabbing with right hand)
Conclusion: ambiguous but right leaning

Kiriko
-Main damage weapon in left hand
-Melee with right hand (Idk why, she has a kunai on hand but no staby stab) possibly could argue she melees with the offhand like most characters holding a gun
-Her origin short she’s training using a right handed sword grip
-Her cinematic trailer her mom looks at a picture where Kiriko as a baby is drawing with her right hand
Conclusion: ambiguous but VERY right leaning

Edit
Roadhog (forced backwardism)
-There’s a good case to make that hook is the dominant hand throw and his gun is the off hand
-Melee and hook left-hand only
-Scrap gun right hand only
Conclusion: this is forced maybe.
I don’t want to extend forced backwardism to most characters, especially when the are other signs of right hand dominance (JunkerQuen). (From what I found most gun based authority doesn’t force right handedness but, prove me wrong) I can’t find any definite left-handedness for Hog (in the cannon), but as a lefty I would consider throwing the hook as the dominant hand. Possibly lefthanded but maybe speculative.

Dual Wielders (Zen, Reaper, Tracer)
-Only melee with right hand/foot
Conclusion: probably right handed
Edit
Everyone Else
-Primary weapon in right hand (even Hanzo, I looked it up, it’s the right handed way to hold a bow)
Conclusion: right handed

I’ve always liked Overwatch for being an inclusive with all kinds of characters!

Can we please get a definitively left handed character? (Like a dual wielder with only a left melee or something like the top four on the list that aren’t so ambiguous.

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2

I’m left handed but i do a lot of things with my right hand. Some lefties only write with their left hand. I do basically everything else with my right hand. It wouldn’t shock me if Moira is ambidextrous. Or if genji and junkrat are left handed just from a fanon thing.

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3

That’s the typical fighter stance/attack method for right handed fighters. Your dominant hand is recessed to allow more build up of power when you strike due to distance traveled. The “weaker” hand is in the forward position as you are just using it for jabs or parries (generally) as you don’t need alot of physical power to perform such actions.
In Doomfist’s case his shotgun and melee are weaker options, so are used by his left. His stronger options, like Rocket punch, slam and power guard are designated to his right. Though its advised you try to unlearn left/right tendencies when it comes to fighting.

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4

Yup right on the dot. I started boxing when I was 12 and was so confused when they said my left hand should be further ahead than my right (main) hand. Noticed the difference in power when I did combos.

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5

I’d prefer they focus on fixing their game first

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Same.
Then they tell me my strongest option is my left hook. My brain just could not comprehend. I get it now but man those were interesting times.

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7

I didn’t think of that, I not much of a fighter. I only looked at with first person view but his third person model carries the big arm in the back. Good insight!

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8

Meanwhile Orisa and Bastion that have no choice but to be left handed cuz their right hand is a gun lmao

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9

Zarya, Sojourn, and Pharah use both hands to hold their weapon, but melee with their left. Soj and Pharah also use their left for secondary abilities. Conclusion: Probably left handed

JQ has her shotgun in her right hand but throws Gracie and melees with her left. Hog also has his shotgun in his right hand, but hooks and melees with left. Conclusion: Considering shotguns aren’t meant to be precise weapons but Gracie and hook are, it’s highly likely both these heroes are also left handed

Dva’s Meka is ambidextrous, choosing to melee with either left or right, no preference.

5 Likes
10

This is a feature I just discovered in Valorant… the ability to switch your weapon between hands, and as I lefty I think it would be great if more FPS games started adopting it. :leftwards_hand:

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11

I would argue that you wouldn’t want the giant, unwieldy gauntlet (which is only really good for punching and crushing things) on your dominant hand.

Plus, his gun is on his left hand.

Doomfist is almost certainly left handed.

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12

I don’t believe there is any hard science on the reasons why left-handers exist… but one of the theories is that it did provide a small advantage in fist fights as it was unorthodox since it’s a stance people would only see 10% of the time.

13

They use the right handed way to hold a two hand gun

Shotguns have a lot of kickback, I would always put one in my strong hand. Maybe there’s an argument for hook but I find it unlikely. JQ also swings her axe with a right handed grip so also unlikey.

True but Dva shoots her pistol with a right handed grip.

14

Perhaps because the guns are manufactured for the 90% of right handed people and not specially made for them, meaning they’d need to adapt to the industry standard. Cars are made with their gear shifty thingies (idk what they’re called, I’m a girl and I don’t drive) on the right. A left handed person just has to adapt.

15

Most guns are manufactured for right, some are ambidextrous, sometimes there are left hand variants or kits to swap it. I can still shoot a right made gun in left grip but it is a little awkward. I have to learn a lot of things backwards cause that all there is.

16

D.I.E. violation detected!

to remove this violation you must include at least 10% Left Handed heroes.

heroes that have a non biological left hand do not count towards this total

please bring your game into compliance or face sanctions from the Signaled Virtue Oversight Board

17

Considering how nature works, in regards to traits being passed down that benefit the species and all that, that’s very possible (not sure but it sounds likely)

18

Many of us do :smile: I’m a lefty, and have used a computer mouse with my right hand my entire life. I have another left handed friend who uses a left handed mouse with his actual left hand and I was blown away like “whoa you can do that?!” lolol

Common things like a gear shift are easy to adapt to. But when I learned guitar/bass, I definitely sprang for a left handed guitar. My fingers on my left hand are just so much more dexterous and in control so it made sense.

Then when I switched to drums I played them with a left handed set up. I remember at one of our first shows a guy in the crowd chided me like “wtf? Do you smoke a left handed cigarette too?!”

There really isn’t all that much to adapt to now that I’m thinking about it… though… writing with your left hand is annoying af since you smudge everything as your hand moves over it :sweat_smile:

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19

As a leftie I’m disgusted and appalled with the lack of left handed representation in games. Sometimes I just breakdown at my keyboard from the hundreds of shooters I’ve played remembering that only counterstrike ever thought about me and my people. For too long have we had to adapt to the way right handed people do things. Rebel my fellow lefties!

Before someone throws a hissy fit, I really don’t care because I can go on with my life without having to be represented in every single way imaginable. I am left handed though, that’s not a meme.

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20

They could’ve been forced into it like the UK army do because they decided to adopt a gun that’s impossible to fire left handed without having empty shells ejected into your face.