So, Respawn threw everyone (including EA) in a loop with the sleeper hit ‘Apex Legends.’ In just three days, Apex Legends gained over ten million active players. That’s more than even Fortnite gained during its first launch. But what’s more interesting is the discussion of inclusion, particularly queer inclusion within the game.
One of the main characters, Gibraltar, has been canonically gay since the inception of the project. His backstory, on the website mind you, states that “he (Gibraltar) and his boyfriend stole his father’s motorcycle, took it on a joy ride and got caught in a deadly mudslide.” There hasn’t been any AAA development that has a character built from the ground up as gay, either in their backstory or development. Tracer and Soldier 76 have been canonically gay, but these pieces are just added info to already existing characters. But’s also interesting is the inclusion of another character that we haven’t seen in AAA space.
Bloodhound, within their backstory, does not use any pronouns. Many fans had speculated the reasoning, only to have both Respawn and countless other fans agree: Bloodhound is canonically nonbinary. Now, gay representation (for good or ILL mind you) has been an increasing trend within the AAA sphere. But to have someone trans, in an AAA title, is considered almost unheard of. Almost, mind you, as there are other trans characters, like Cremisius from Dragon Age Inquisition.
But to have someone nonbinary, in a specifically western, AAA title is unheard of. While it would’ve been nice to know Bloodhound as nonbinary from the start, with the nonbinary aspect stated within the background, still, having Allegra Clark, the voice actor for Bloodhound, confirm Bloodhound nonbinary, this may create an opportunity for more nonbinary and genderqueer characters within the AAA industry. Whether they be from developers, writers, artists, or voice actors, the inclusion of more diversity often brings a more diverse audience.
Digitized Flamboyancy 