Games Criticized for Burying Gay Characters in Side Content

Representation in video games has evolved significantly over the last few decades. Developers often place details about a character’s sexuality in optional logs or external media rather than the main plot. This method forces players to hunt for specific lore entries to understand the full identity of the cast. The following titles contain LGBTQ+ characters whose romantic lives are relegated to flavor text or side quests.

‘Overwatch’ (2016)

Blizzard Entertainment confirmed Tracer as a lesbian through a digital comic released outside the game. Players who stick strictly to the multiplayer matches will never see her relationship with her girlfriend Emily. The soldier named Soldier: 76 was also revealed to be gay in a short story released years after launch. Fans criticized the developers for keeping these significant character details out of the actual gameplay experience.

‘Destiny 2’ (2017)

The romantic relationship between Osiris and Saint-14 was hinted at in lore tabs for several years. Players had to read unlocked text entries attached to weapons and armor to understand their bond. Bungie eventually made their connection more explicit in later seasons through dialogue and cutscenes. The initial reliance on written lore led to accusations that the studio was hiding the romance.

‘League of Legends’ (2009)

Riot Games frequently uses short stories and music videos to explore the personal lives of its massive roster. The characters Leona and Diana share a romantic history that is primarily explored in external text narratives. Varus was retconned in a music video to be a fusion involving a gay couple named Kai and Valmar. Players in the actual arena battle game rarely encounter these narrative layers during standard gameplay.

‘Apex Legends’ (2019)

Respawn Entertainment includes diverse backstories for many legends in the bio section of the official website. Gibraltar is described as having a boyfriend in his official biography text. Bloodhound is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns in written lore that many players might skip. These details are often absent from the high-octane battle royale matches themselves.

‘Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’ (2016)

The character Jim Miller is the director of Task Force 29 and plays a significant role in the story. Players can only discover he is gay by hacking into his personal computer and reading his emails. The messages reveal a strained relationship with his husband back in Australia. This detail adds depth to his character but remains completely missable for players who do not explore every terminal.

‘Prey’ (2017)

Danielle Sho and Abigail Foy share a romantic relationship that drives much of the background narrative. The player uncovers their story exclusively through audio logs and email transscripts scattered around the station. Their tragedy provides emotional weight to the setting but requires thorough exploration to piece together. Casual players may finish the game without ever realizing the nature of their bond.

‘Dishonored 2’ (2016)

Empress Emily Kaldwin exchanges letters with a partner named Wyman throughout the game. The gender of Wyman is never explicitly stated in dialogue but writer commentary confirmed it was left open for interpretation. Letters found in the safe house suggest a deep romantic connection that largely exists off-screen. The ambiguity allows for player projection but keeps the relationship firmly in the background.

‘Horizon Zero Dawn’ (2017)

Elisabet Sobeck is a central figure in the lore who saves humanity from extinction. Audio logs and text datapoints recovered from ruins hint at her past relationships with other women. The game prioritizes her scientific achievements while leaving her personal life in optional collectibles. The sequel eventually made these themes more textual with the protagonist Aloy.

‘Borderlands 2’ (2012)

Sir Hammerlock is a gentleman hunter who gives players various side quests. He casually mentions an old boyfriend during a specific mission dialogue that is easy to miss during combat. Axton the Commando also has voice lines referencing male attraction that resulted from a coding glitch the writers decided to keep. The franchise hides these details in fleet-footed banter rather than main story beats.

‘Mortal Kombat X’ (2015)

Kung Jin is the cousin of Kung Lao and a new addition to the roster. A subtle exchange with Raiden in the story mode hints at his sexuality when he fears the Shaolin will not accept him. Raiden assures him that the Shaolin care only about what is in his heart. The scene is brief and relies heavily on subtext to convey his identity.

‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’ (2015)

Jacob Frye is one of the two playable protagonists in this Victorian London adventure. The lead writer confirmed in interviews that Jacob was written as bisexual. The game hints at this through a few lines of dialogue and his interactions with a rival gang leader. These hints are so subtle that most players assumed he was simply a charismatic rogue.

‘Gotham Knights’ (2022)

Tim Drake is the Robin featured in this action RPG about the Bat-family. An email found in the Belfry hub area reveals he has reconnected with a boyfriend named Bernard. A Pride flag also appears in the gym area of their headquarters. These small environmental details serve as the primary confirmation of his bisexuality within the game.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ (2017)

Gil Brodie is the chief engineer on the player’s ship and serves as a side character. He offers a gay romance option for a male protagonist but has very limited screen time compared to other squadmates. Players complained that his romance arc felt rushed and lacked the depth of the main companions. His content is entirely optional and confined to the engineering deck.

‘World of Warcraft’ (2004)

Mathias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind are prominent characters who developed a romance in the novel Shadows Rising. Players primarily see the results of this relationship in brief dialogue exchanges within the game. Blizzard often establishes these major character developments in books rather than in the MMO itself. Fans must consume external media to understand the current relationship status of these alliance leaders.

‘Dead by Daylight’ (2016)

The survivor David King was confirmed as gay years after his initial release. Developers revealed this information through a Twitter post and a specific tome entry in the Archives. Players must complete specific challenges to unlock the lore memories that detail his past relationships. The revelation had no impact on his actual gameplay mechanics or standard appearance.

‘Rainbow Six Siege’ (2015)

Ubisoft includes biographical details for operators in the menu screens. The operator Flores has a husband named in his bio text. Osa is a trans woman and this fact is mentioned in her character background notes. Players focused on the tactical shooter gameplay rarely read these dense paragraphs of text.

‘Valorant’ (2020)

Raze and Killjoy are two popular agents who were confirmed to be a couple via social media art. The game itself features very little direct storytelling outside of voice lines before matches. Fans speculated on their relationship for years before the official Twitter account posted an image of them kissing. The confirmation exists entirely outside the game client.

‘BioShock’ (2007)

Sander Cohen is an eccentric artist and antagonist in the underwater city of Rapture. His homosexuality is implied through his mannerisms and the specific insults hurled at him by other characters. Environmental storytelling in his apartment gives further clues to his personal life. The game treats his sexuality as part of the decadent atmosphere rather than a plot point.

‘Ghost of Tsushima’ (2020)

Lady Masako is a major ally who recruits the protagonist to help find her family’s killers. During her specific side quest chain she reveals she had a romantic affair with a female servant. This information is only divulged if the player pursues her optional storyline to completion. It adds complexity to her character but can be completely bypassed.

‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ (2011)

The base game launched without any same-sex romance options for the player character. The Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion later added the first gay romance options on a specific planet. These relationships were strictly contained within the expansion content and did not integrate with the main class stories. Players criticized the segregation of these options to paid downloadable content.

‘Persona 4’ (2008)

Kanji Tatsumi struggles with his identity and sexual orientation throughout his specific dungeon. The game suggests he is gay or bisexual through his shadow self and internal conflicts. The resolution of his social link effectively walks back these themes by suggesting his confusion was just about hobbies. The game uses his sexuality as a plot device that is eventually discarded.

‘Cyberpunk 2077’ (2020)

Kerry Eurodyne is an optional romance option for male characters late in the game. Players must complete a long chain of side quests involving Johnny Silverhand to even meet him properly. His romantic path is easily missed if the player rushes the main story. Many players finish the game without realizing he is a romanceable character.

‘Watch Dogs 2’ (2016)

Lenora Kastner is a member of the hacker group DedSec who goes by the handle Ray. Her backstory as a trans woman is detailed in her bio data and audio logs. Players must proactively look for these collectibles to learn about her past. The main narrative focuses on her hacking skills rather than her personal identity.

‘The Last of Us Part I’ (2013)

Bill is a survivalist who helps Joel and Ellie during their journey. He mentions a partner named Frank who he had a falling out with. Players can find a suicide note from Frank that implies they were romantic partners. The game relies on environmental clues and a magazine Ellie finds to confirm Bill’s sexuality.

‘Final Fantasy XV’ (2016)

Ignis Scientia serves as the loyal advisor and cook for the main protagonist Noctis. The Episode Ignis DLC implies a level of devotion to Noctis that many fans interpret as romantic love. The main game keeps his motivations strictly professional and centered on duty. Any deeper romantic feelings are buried in subtext and optional downloadable content.

‘Star Wars: Squadrons’ (2020)

Keo Venzee is one of the pilots flying alongside the player in the New Republic campaign. They casually mention using they/them pronouns and past relationships in hangar banter. These conversations are optional and occur between missions. Players who skip the dialogue sessions will miss these character details entirely.

‘Warframe’ (2013)

Ticker is a vendor NPC located in the Fortuna hub area. Voice lines and backstory fragments reveal that Ticker is a trans woman. She refers to herself with feminine terms and has a tragic backstory involving a lover. These details are hidden in menu interactions and rare dialogue clips.

‘Team Fortress 2’ (2007)

Miss Pauling is the administrator who issues contracts to the mercenaries. One of the game writers stated on Twitter that he considered her to be gay. The game itself contains no references to her romantic life or sexuality. This is a classic example of representation existing solely in creator commentary.

‘Far Cry 6’ (2021)

Paolo de la Vega is a DJ and leader of a revolutionary faction. He is a trans man who discusses his transition in specific cutscenes and notes. The player must engage with the Maximas Matanzas storyline to hear these details. His identity is well integrated but still confined to a specific regional questline.

‘Hogwarts Legacy’ (2023)

Sirona Ryan is the owner of the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade. She has a single line of dialogue that indicates she is a trans woman. Players encounter this conversation during a main quest but it is brief and never mentioned again. The inclusion felt like a checkbox to many players due to its brevity.

‘The Elder Scrolls Online’ (2014)

The quest titled The Alchemy of Love involves helping a character reunite with her female lover. This is just one of thousands of side quests available in the massive world. Players must be in the right zone and find the specific NPC to trigger the story. The representation is frequent but scattered across minor content.

‘Guild Wars 2’ (2012)

Kasmeer Meade and Marjory Delaqua are key characters who have a long-running relationship. In the early years of the living world updates their romance was communicated through subtle ambient dialogue. Players had to stand near them in hub cities to hear them flirting. It took years for their relationship to become a central focus of the main plot.

‘Fallout: New Vegas’ (2010)

Arcade Gannon and Veronica Santangelo are potential companions with gay backstories. Players must recruit them and trigger their specific personal quests to learn about their past loves. Veronica speaks about a girl she fell in love with in the Brotherhood of Steel. Arcade hints at his sexuality through dialogue that requires specific perk checks to access.

‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ (2014)

Krem is a lieutenant in the Iron Bull’s mercenary company and is a trans man. Players can only learn about his history by engaging in optional conversations at the tavern. The dialogue allows the player to ask questions about his identity. If the player does not recruit the Iron Bull then Krem never appears in the game.

‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’ (2018)

The game allows the protagonist to romance various characters regardless of gender. However, the Legacy of the First Blade DLC forced the character into a heterosexual relationship to produce a child. This decision caused a massive backlash from fans who had played the character as gay. The developers eventually patched the cutscenes to make the relationship seem less romantic.

‘Dying Light 2’ (2022)

Lawan is a major character who accompanies the player throughout the city. Optional dialogue trees allow her to mention her past relationships with women. These conversations usually happen during downtime moments on rooftops. Players focused purely on parkour and combat will miss these character beats.

‘Psychonauts 2’ (2021)

Bob Zanotto and Helmut Fullbear were the original gay couple of the Psychonauts founders. The player explores Bob’s mind to uncover the tragedy of losing his husband. While the story is touching it takes place entirely within a mental construct level. Their reunion happens late in the game as part of the resolution to a side plot.

‘Hades’ (2020)

Achilles serves as a mentor to the protagonist Zagreus in the main hub. His romantic bond with Patroclus is explored through the Codex and optional conversations. Players must gift Nectar to both characters and locate Patroclus in the dungeon to advance their plot. The reunion of the two lovers is a side quest reward rather than a main story event.

‘Outer Worlds’ (2019)

Parvati Holcomb is a companion who asks for help asking out another woman named Junlei. The entire romance arc is contained within a companion quest titled Don’t Bite the Sun. Players can complete the main game without ever helping Parvati find love. It is widely considered one of the best parts of the game despite being optional.

‘Rune Factory 5’ (2022)

The game launched in Japan without the ability for same-sex marriage. The developers patched in the ability to marry same-sex partners for the western release after fan demand. This feature was treated as an addition rather than a core design pillar from the start. It required a fundamental change to the game code to implement.

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

The Japanese version of the game initially called same-sex unions the Best Friends system. The western localization changed this to proper marriage to align with modern standards. The original terminology attempted to skirt around explicit representation. It showed a hesitation to fully commit to the concept in the base code.

Please share your own examples or thoughts on this topic in the comments.