Based on official game lore from the developer, Ubisoft, Osa is a transgender woman.
She is a character in the video game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege.
A detailed look at Osa's character and gender identity
Confirmation of her gender identity
When Osa was revealed as a new operator in August 2021, Ubisoft confirmed that she was the game's first transgender character. This was verified by game journalists who spoke with the developers. The character's biography and development team further elaborate on this aspect of her identity.
Osa's in-game biography and backstory
The official Ubisoft biography for Osa, whose full name is Anja Katarina Janković, explicitly mentions her transition. In her bio, it is noted that while she was studying at the University of Zagreb, "She found herself isolated due to her unorthodox approach and others' attitudes toward her transition, so she focused on her work". This line is the only direct reference to her gender identity in her in-game backstory, and it is framed as an aspect of her past that influenced her career path, rather than being the defining characteristic of her personality.
Inclusive character development
Ubisoft put significant effort into creating an authentic and respectful portrayal of Osa. The development team made the following decisions:
- Transgender consultants: Transgender people were brought in as consultants to ensure Osa was "presented as authentically and organically as possible".
- Queer writer and trans voice actor: A queer person was hired to write the character's narrative, and a transgender woman, Nicole Maines, was chosen to provide Osa's voice.
- Focus on skills, not gender: While Osa's gender identity is part of her backstory, her characterization in the Rainbow Six Siege universe is primarily centered on her talents as a military engineer and her relationship with her Nighthaven teammates.
What Osa's gender means for the game
Osa's introduction marked a push for more inclusivity in Rainbow Six Siege, following the introduction of other LGBTQ+ operators like Flores (gay) and Sens (non-binary). Her character was designed to be a "badass trans woman that trans people in our game's community could be proud of". Her existence in the game's lore normalizes transgender identity and adds to the game's diverse roster without making her gender identity her entire story.