On Baptiste and Mauga

Author's Note: This post contains usages of the word q*eer. Red underlining of the text is my own emphasis. Big thanks to @yoshi12370 for archiving Important Maustiste Tweets. He is the official king of the ship.

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Introduction

Overwatch 2's inaugural season is halfway over. With Mauga being frontrunner for December's highly anticipated new tank, I thought it might be fun to reread and reexamine their short story What You Left Behind (WYLB) given the game's new voicework.

WYLB was originally published in 2019; the only short story Alyssa Wong penned during their time at Blizzard (they now write Star Wars comics for Marvel). It was highly praised by fandom, namely for the depth it added to Baptiste and its compelling introduction to Mauga (who was back then assumed to be the next hero).

There was another reason, however: the story encouraged the reader to interpret Baptiste and Mauga as ex-lovers, an intentional creative decision from Wong (who is both bisexual and nonbinary). This made Mauga incredibly popular amongst the queer side of the fandom.

In this post, I try to explain the nature of Baptiste and Mauga's relationship (and why it can be so easily interpreted as romantic). I hope you enjoy reading! Perhaps this can spark a conversation about the dynamic these two men share, which I personally adore.

The Text Itself

Thematically, WYLB is the story of a lover scorned (Mauga). When Baptiste decided to leave Talon, he broke Mauga's heart. His former partner never forgave him for this, and (in WYLB) is trying to bring him "home."

The Caribbean Coalition, despite letting Baptiste hone his skills as a combat medic, did not give him economic stability. This is explored in his backstory video. Immediately after joining (as shown in one of WYLB's many flashbacks), Baptiste and Mauga are drawn to one another. They form an immediate connection. Baptiste is attracted to Mauga's charisma, while Mauga believes Baptiste understands him in a way others (presumably) don't.

This immediately sets Baptiste apart from other Talon recruits for Mauga. We're told his personality is electrifying and naturally pulls people towards him. But Mauga could've chosen anyone, and he chose Baptiste, because Mauga believed Baptiste understood him. And this faith is well-placed. Baptiste, as far as we are aware, is the only person able to talk Mauga down when enraged. Clearly, there is a level of emotional intimacy between these men that does not extend to other Talon members.

What's more? This understanding, the ability to parse each other's emotions, extends both ways. Their final mission together (before Baptiste turned traitor) was to Monti Cristi. Prior to landing, we're told explicitly of Baptiste's doubts. He no longer trusts Talon as an organization. But Mauga realizes what Baptiste is thinking without the medic saying a word and that something is very, very wrong. He tries to reassure Baptiste:

And in combat, they energize one another. Mauga is the kind of man who enjoys the thrill of any fight, but the rush he gets fighting alongside Baptiste is different, special. The feeling is mutual for Baptiste, although he's hesitant to admit it:

Caring for Mauga (and their team) gave Baptiste purpose after he left the Caribbean Coalition. Of course, the irony being that searching for such a purpose after defecting from Talon lead him to Overwatch. And most importantly, Mauga wears his heart on his sleeve: he outright states he missed Baptiste, missed their connection.

And I believe this was written intentionally. Mauga simply did not see other members of Talon in the way he does Baptiste. He doesn't speak nearly as highly of Nguyen, despite the two of them working together efficiently throughout the story. Moreover, he admits he didn't even like their old captain. It is important to note Baptiste killed most of their old squad. Mauga doesn't care about revenge or retribution, all he seems is to want Baptiste back.

Thus, I think the text is clear about their relationship: for a time, Baptiste and Mauga completed one another (romantically and professionally). They demonstrate a degree of emotional intimacy not shared their by their old squad (and one we haven't seen on Baptiste's end yet with the New Blood crew). These are two men who were once completely attuned to the other's feelings on and off the battlefield. Any breakup, then, would undoubtedly be messy.

Of course, one could argue that they are simply good friends. Intimacy (emotional or otherwise) isn't always limited to romantic relationships. I don't agree with this interpretation simply because of Wong's old tweets, but it's also worthwhile to interrogate the text. How does WYLB imply they were lovers? I think there are two important points to consider:

Mondesir and Sombra

Roseline Mondesir is Baptiste's childhood friend. They grew up in the same orphanage together, and their childhood dream was to jointly open a clinic. Although Roseline jokes about Baptiste being subjected to a patient's flirting and complements his muscles, there's no romantic tension between them. Their interactions are a combination of professional and platonic.

Similarly, Sombra's appearance in the story contains no romantic undertones. She calls him "mijo," which is a (usually) familial (sometimes platonic) term of endearment. Baptiste is indeed attracted to women (he's heavily bisexual or pansexual coded) but there was no attempt by the narrative to create plausible deniability by suggesting Baptiste has feelings for one of these characters. The emotional crux of the story is the messy emotions these men share after their breakup.

Also, Mauga Really, Really Likes Baptiste

An easy detail to miss in WYLB is that the mission to bring Baptiste back was Mauga's idea. Prior, Talon only wanted to kill him (and sent members of their old squad to do so). Mauga, though, is determined to bring Baptiste back alive, an irregularity for Talon defectors.

And what's more, he outright admits that Baptiste's betrayal hurt him. He slathers in a layer of humor, however (something he regularly does), likely to distract from the emotional vulnerability the statement opens him up to.

Mauga asking Baptiste is he was out "breaking hearts" feels intentional, too. We know Baptiste is a bit of a flirt. But coming from Mauga, this feels less like a descriptor of Bisexual Disaster Baptiste (as we see in-game via interactions), and more of a subtle admission that Baptiste broke Mauga's heart, too.

This heartbreak isn't just something alluded to, either. We're lucky enough to get a flashback of Baptiste escaping Monti Cristi. Before letting him leave, Mauga lays his feelings about Baptiste bare:

Mauga thinks Baptiste is special, different from other Talon mercs. And for a very brief moment, we get that emotional vulnerability once more. Mauga sees Baptiste as a normal part of his existence. He seems to think Baptiste will one day come to his senses, believing there's no way the medic would leave him forever. Of course, this turns out to be wrong. And Mauga deals with the heartbreak.

I don't think Mauga ever forgot or forgave Baptiste. In the final confrontation between the two men at the end of WYLB, Mauga remarks:

He's not letting Baptiste go, and I think the "edge" in his voice described here is his excitement. Not just for combat, but for the chance to make things right. Baptiste will come back to Talon. They'll be partners again. It'll be just like the good ol' days. Mauga is tired of waiting for Baptiste to return to him of his own volition. He'll force Baptiste to come home, and then he'll understand, surely.

Does Still Baptiste Care About Mauga?

The last big question I want to explore is whether the feelings are mutual. Even if Mauga and Baptiste were romantically involved prior to Baptiste's defection, it's not impossible that perhaps Baptiste just doesn't feel the same for Mauga anymore. While I can't say with certainty that Baptiste currently has romantic feelings towards Mauga, he certainly cares for him. This is evident in the story, briefly:

Baptiste knows Mauga is dangerous. Baptiste knows Mauga will try to capture him again, if given the chance. And yet, Baptiste hopes Mauga is still alive after their battle. That's pretty damning evidence that Baptiste still cares.

There's also this little interaction from OW1 that (as far as I know) didn't make the transition to OW2. Regardless, it's still revealing:

You can listen to a recording here.

I find Baptiste's question telling. He doesn't ask what Mauga's plans are, or where he is, or how to avoid him. He asks how he is, demonstrating a concern for Mauga's wellbeing (perhaps against his better judgement). And Sombra seems somewhat sympathetic to the situation (as a good friend would).

So maybe they're queer, what now?

Tomorrow we find out whether Hero 36 is Mauga. This would be, in my opinion, an "easy" W for Team 4. There's no lack of criticism for how queer heroes have been handled since launch. Adding Mauga to the roster and confirming he and Baptiste were romantically involved (or shared feelings for one another) would add a queer storyline the game's queer fandom would adore.

I do understand that it's not actually "easy." Developers in the games industry often have to fight company executives (and management and legal teams) to get q*eer characters greenlit at all. It took Riot Games' management nearly a decade to relent and allow its workers to confirm Twisted Fate and Graves were former lovers, and Baptiste and Mauga could be going through the same process.

However, I want to have hope. Unlike other ships, Baptiste and Mauga already have the groundwork for a former romantic relationship laid. They don't need a reconciliation (Reaper76) or to physically to meet one another (Yeehan). There's already a lot of deep, messy emotions between the two of them and they're tied to one another's stories. All that's left is a confirmation.

Thanks for reading!