Players who identify as queer find ways to express their identities in multiplayer games. In this study, we present results on how gender-diverse, non-normative identities are expressed around the first-person shooter Team Fortress 2 (TF2). Despite TF2 not catering to or inviting non-normative expressions of identity through its mechanics or affordances, there is a large queer community active around the game. Through 13 semi-structured interviews with queer TF2 players, the study shows that queer players project their identities onto both characters within and outside the game, and that the intersection between community, self-expression, and the canon provides a foundation for these projections. The presence of a queer community motivated participants to create or share queer retellings of TF2 characters. TF2’s focus on fast-paced gameplay does not necessarily invite players to explore the emotional and personal sides of the characters. However, this opened up to the participants filling in these gaps themselves through fan created content, such as fan fictions or fan art.