Video games. Whether they are set in a fantastical world or in a world similar to ours, gamers and non gamers alike usually find some way to relate to the characters we play with and as. Many times, game developers incorporate things from real life into their games. Whether it be mostly based off of the real world with games like Battlefield 1 (set in World War 1) or something entirely separate from reality like Sky: Children of the Light (a game about fairy children collecting light), players find some enjoyment away from the realities of everyday life. 

A video game pretty close to my heart is called Apex Legends. It’s a fps (first person shooter) battle royale. There are many characters to choose from to play, and in this, Apex isn’t unique. Apex is unique however, in how they present their characters. The developers are very open about different sexualities and think it’s important that they represent all types of identities and sexualities in their game. Because of their goals for representation, about a third of the playable characters are something other than cis. We have some characters that are bisexual, pansexual, lesbian, gay, nonbinary and the most recently announced character is transgender.

At least half of the player base of Apex Legends aren’t playing for backstory, they’re playing to just shoot people and have fun. This means that lore isn’t integral to their enjoyment of the game. And it’s entirely achievable to be oblivious to the characters’ backstories because lore isn’t being shoved down players’ throats. However, lore is easy to access and references are made by characters in voice clips during matches that refer to events happening in their imaginary world. This shows how easily avoidable the story is if you’re just casually playing the game. Some people do end up finding out about the different sexualities of the characters and a small amount stir up a fuss about the strong lgbtq+ presence. 

It is no secret that the player base for video games is male dominated and it’s also no secret that men are less open to differing sexualities because of the way that society treats men. Because of this, the lgbtq+ representation the Apex fan base has come to expect from the developers is way different than the norm. Even with the more accepting fan base, it’s impossible to avoid people who disagree with putting gender and sexuality inclusive characters into video games. While there have always been voices determined to be heard that disagree with the developers choices, those voices have both multiplied and become louder since the announcement of the new character. 

I’ve seen many make the case that diversity isn’t needed in an imaginary world and that we already have so many other non-cis characters, why can’t trans people just relate to them. I’ve also heard people say that instead of making the new character trans, they should fix glitches in game. I feel as though neither of these arguments are valid because a new character was gonna be released anyways, there’s no harm in them being trans. No matter what a character’s sexuality or preference tends to be, it’s not going to change what you can do with them or their abilities. It shouldn’t change your enjoyment of the game and if you don’t want to think about it, it isn’t always in your face. With this being said though, I’ve seen so many people intentionally misgender the new legend because they don’t acknowledge trans people and it’s very sad.

So here I pose the question: Is there anything wrong with game developers trying to represent all races, gender identities, and sexuality in their games? Should games just have cis gender characters to not upset the status quo? And lastly, are the developers of Apex Legends trying to be too ‘woke’ in their diversity?