Key insights
- Volta Rossi is the first non-binary operator in Call of Duty history.
- Rossi's description only uses the pronouns “they/them”, while other characters use “he/him” or “she/her”, suggesting that it is actually an intentional choice.
- Despite being the first NB operator, they are not the first example of representation in the series. In Black Ops Cold War, you can choose Agent Bell's gender in the campaign and also make her non-binary if you wish.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 introduces the series' first non-binary operator: Volta Rossi.
Rossi is described as a “street-smart scoundrel with a blue-blooded pedigree” who “left the comfort of the aristocracy to forge a new name for himself as a HUMINT specialist.” Rossi uses his connections to the Luttazzi family to gain a “unique insight into Avalon.”
As reported by GamingBible, Rossi's description ensures that only the pronouns “they/them” are used, while other operator descriptions use “he/him” and “she/her.” So it seems to be a conscious decision on Activision's part, suggesting that Rossi is non-binary. It's a big step for representation in the series and builds directly on Agent Bell from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Agent Bell, a stepping stone for NB representatives in Call of Duty
In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, you play as a custom character named Agent Bell. The CIA once served you as the right-hand man of Soviet intelligence officer and spymaster “Perseus,” brainwashing you to help destroy his network.
Since Bell is a completely blank slate of a character, unlike previous Call of Duty protagonists, you can specify their gender before the campaign begins.
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To do this, you can make them either male, female, non-binary, or “classified.” Funnily enough, if you go with the latter two options, Bell doesn't make any noise when he's injured. Non-binary people are clearly built differently.
For technical reasons, Bell is the first non-binary character in Call of Duty. But it's decided by the player rather than written into their story, and most people will have chosen male or female, while Rossi is simply non-binary.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 continues Activision's long-running line of first-person shooters, developed by both Treyarch and Raven Software.