Games That Added Same-Sex Marriage After Player Petitions

Player campaigns have pushed studios to broaden who gets to say “I do” in games, especially in life sims and MMOs where weddings are core systems. While many titles shipped with inclusive options from day one, a smaller group added same-sex marriage or fully gender-neutral wedding systems only after sustained community requests, localization advocacy, or region-specific feedback. Below are notable examples where player pressure clearly influenced the final feature set—and the companies behind them.

‘Final Fantasy XIV’ (2013)

Square Enix initially hesitated to include same-sex marriage in their MMORPG due to potential controversies in different regions. The community vocally campaigned for equality within the Eternal Bonding ceremony after the game relaunched as A Realm Reborn. Producer Naoki Yoshida and his team listened to the feedback and implemented the system in Patch 2.45. This update allowed any two players to marry regardless of their avatars’ genders and established the game as an inclusive space.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ (2017)

BioWare faced significant backlash at launch because the male Ryder protagonist had significantly fewer romance options than his female counterpart. Fans were particularly disappointed that the alien squadmate Jaal was restricted to heterosexual romance despite the Angara species being described as emotionally open. The developers released Patch 1.08 to expand the character creator and specifically unlock Jaal as a romance option for Scott Ryder. This change was a direct response to the community’s desire for more equitable relationship content.

‘The Sims FreePlay’ (2011)

While the mainline titles in the franchise had long supported same-sex relationships, this mobile adaptation by Firemonkeys Studios and Electronic Arts launched without the ability for same-sex Sims to marry. Players could form romantic relationships, but the option to officially wed was absent. The Wedding Belles update in 2013 finally rectified this by allowing all couples to get married and have weddings. This update brought the mobile version in line with the core values of the series.

‘Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town’ (2019)

Marvelous and XSEED Games made a significant localization change for the Western release of this farming simulator. In the original Japanese version, same-sex relationships were categorized under a Best Friends system that functioned identically to marriage but used different terminology. Localization manager John Wheeler confirmed that the Western release would simply call it marriage for all couples to ensure equal treatment. This inclusive approach was so well-received that it influenced future titles in the franchise.

‘Rune Factory 5’ (2021)

This fantasy farm-sim by Marvelous originally launched in Japan without same-sex marriage options. The Western localization team at XSEED Games pushed to include the feature for the international release. The demand was so high that the developers decided to patch the feature back into the Japanese version as well. This marked a major turning point for the series and set a new standard for future installments.

‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ (2011)

BioWare launched this MMORPG without any same-sex romance options for player characters. After years of sustained requests and petitions from the player base, the developer began introducing these options in the Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion. While initially limited to specific planets like Makeb, the Shadow of Revan expansion and subsequent updates fully integrated same-sex romance for major characters. The game now allows players to romance and marry companions regardless of gender.

‘Fire Emblem Fates’ (2015)

Nintendo and Intelligent Systems faced a public relations crisis after excluding same-sex relationships from the life simulator Tomodachi Life. In response to the widespread criticism, Nintendo promised to be more inclusive in future endeavors. This promise materialized in this strategy RPG, which included one same-sex marriage option per version of the game. While the options were limited to specific characters like Niles and Rhajat, it was a historic first for the long-running series.

‘Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition’ (2019)

The original release of this RPG by Square Enix only allowed the protagonist to marry his female childhood friend Gemma. Fans expressed disappointment that they could not deepen their bonds with other beloved party members. The Definitive Edition added a new feature that allowed players to choose a partner to live with forever, including male characters like Erik and Sylvando. Although the game uses the term partnership, the ceremony and domestic arrangement effectively serve as a marriage system for all preferences.

‘Crusader Kings III’ (2020)

Paradox Interactive initially allowed same-sex relationships only through traits and events, but not formal marriage within the game’s hardcoded succession laws. When a patch inadvertently broke mods that enabled same-sex marriage, the community voiced significant frustration. Paradox acknowledged the issue and released Patch 1.5, which officially added a Game Rule allowing players to legalize same-sex marriage in their campaigns. This update integrated the feature directly into the game’s systems to ensure AI and succession mechanics functioned correctly.

‘Haven’ (2020)

The Game Bakers originally released this romantic RPG focused on a heterosexual couple named Yu and Kay. The developers had always wanted to include more diversity but were limited by indie budget constraints at launch. After the game found success, the team released a free Couples Update that allowed players to choose between a male-female, female-female, or male-male couple. This update required recording entirely new voice lines and creating new character models to fulfill the original vision.

‘Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life’ (2023)

The original 2003 version of this game forced players into heterosexual marriages to progress the story and raise a child. When Marvelous announced the remake, modern fans petitioned for the removal of these gender restrictions. The developers rebuilt the game to allow the protagonist to marry any eligible candidate regardless of gender. They also introduced a non-binary option for the player character, making it one of the most inclusive entries in the farming genre.

‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ (2019)

While the base game included same-sex romance options, fans were disappointed by the limited number available for male protagonists compared to female protagonists. Intelligent Systems addressed this disparity in a post-launch update that made the character Jeritza available as a romance option for male Byleth. This addition was part of a free update rather than paid DLC, ensuring all players had access to the new relationship path. The update helped balance the romance options and satisfied fans who wanted more variety.

‘Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos’ (2023)

Natsume Inc. had resisted adding same-sex marriage to their developed titles for years, often citing technical reasons or tradition. After competitors like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons proved the demand for inclusive features, Natsume finally pivoted with this release. This game became the first in Natsume’s Harvest Moon line to launch with full same-sex marriage support. The inclusion marked a major shift in policy for the company after years of player requests.

‘Mass Effect 3’ (2012)

In the first two games of the trilogy, the human squadmate Kaidan Alenko was only romanceable by a female Commander Shepard. BioWare updated Kaidan’s romance path in the third game to make him available to male Shepard as well. This change was largely driven by the passionate “Shenko” fan community who had campaigned for the pairing since the first game. The addition provided a satisfying conclusion for players who had wanted to pursue that relationship arc from the beginning.

‘The Sims 4’ (2014)

Although same-sex marriage was always possible in the base game, Maxis and Electronic Arts faced backlash over the release of the My Wedding Stories game pack. The company initially announced they would not release the pack in Russia due to federal laws regarding gay content, which sparked a massive community protest under the hashtag #WeddingsForRussia. The developers reversed their decision and released the pack globally with all LGBTQ+ content intact. A later base game update also added detailed sexual orientation settings to further refine how Sims experience attraction.

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