Sweden

“	For the last time, I'm Swedish!	„
	~ Torbjörn Lindholm

Sweden
Location	Northern Europe (Scandinavia)
Terrain	Various

Sweden is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe.

History

Pre-Crisis

In the years before the Omnic Crisis, like much of the world, Sweden embraced the proliferation of artificial intelligence and domestic omnics. One piece of anti-AI legislation after another was struck down by the Swedish government.

Omnic Crisis

Sweden was a battlefield during the Omnic Crisis. Gothenburg was one such battlefield, where omnics under Anubis's control turned against their human owners. A few weeks into the war, Torbjörn Lindholm was summoned by the National Chemical, Biological, Radiation, and Nuclear Defense Center to complete and deploy their Luftförsvarsnätverk. The system was deployed around Sweden's major population centers to dissuade enemy air attacks, and due to the resources provided by the Swedish government, the network was deployed at breakneck speed.

As the war continued, refugees from adjacent countries fled into Sweden, millions entering Gothenburg alone. As elsewhere, crisis bred innovation—Mysboden designed and mass-produced prefabricated shelters across the country, while Freja Nilsson designed the Tillsluten tubes to protect refugees travelling from one country to another. Axel and Ludvig Lund turned their attention to solving Sweden's supply line issues.

While Gothenburg had been affected by Anubis's initial attack, Sweden as a country was relatively distant from the frontlines of the war. As the months passed without any major attacks on Gothenburg, a sense of calm descended upon the city. However, brighter minds could see that beyond Sweden's borders, humanity was losing the war. Fearing that Gothenburg would fall victim to a serious attack, scientists and engineers from different organizations came together to discuss contingencies. They would become known as the Hjältefemman. To protect Gothenburg, they worked with Mysboden to create the Ståltäcke, which the Swedish government provided funding for at the last moment. Near the end of the Crisis, Anubis launched the assault Sweden had dreaded. A massive air raid overwhelmed Sweden's defenses and attacked Gothenburg, reducing 95% of the city to ashes in what would later be known as the Bombardment of Gothenburg. However, thanks to the Ståltäcke, only 12,000 casualities were sustained out of a city of 4 million. Given the low casualty rate, the Bombardment later became known as the "Midsommarmiraklet" (Midsummer Miracle).

Post-Crisis

“	Bastion on the loose? Or just another false alarm? Teen lovers run-in with death machine! A terror from the past returns!	„
	~ Swedish headlines after Bastion's emergence

After the Crisis, the Hjältefemman were memoralized in Swedish culture, lauded in street names, holidays, murals, and movies.

Sometime after the disbandment of Overwatch, a Bastion unit resurfaced in Sweden, sending the country into a panic. The Swedish military dragged its feet, believing it to be a hoax. The unit was ultimately retrieved by Lindholm, who took it under his wing.

Known Locations

• Gothenburg
• Stockholm

Notable Nationals

Main article: List of Swedish nationals

Swedes

• Amira Ahmed
• Arrhenius
• Brigitte Lindholm
• Ingrid Lindholm
• Torbjörn Lindholm
• Axel Lund
• Ludvig Lund
• Freja Nilsson
• Josef Zielinski

Trivia

• Sweden's flag was revealed to be the same as the real-world Kingdom of Sweden on the cryostasis pod for the climatologist Arrhenius, who was one of the scientists who served with Mei at Ecopoint: Antarctica. The Swedish flag can be seen on Arrhenius's stasis-pod in-game.
• The country later appeared as the setting for the eleventh Overwatch comic, Bastion: Binary.