LGBT organization GLAAD reveals nominees for Outstanding Video Game
GLAAD, an organization that celebrates LGBT media, only just started recognizing video games for its annual Media Awards last year. It was a mostly positive reception, especially as video games have been mainstream entertainment for a while.
The organization has just announced its nominees for this year’s Media Awards. These games are: Apex Legends, Borderlands 3, Overwatch, Outer Worlds, and The Walking Dead: Final Season. The reaction to these games being included, particularly that of Overwatch and Apex Legends, has left a few feeling bewildered, especially with games like Life is Strange 2 being absent.
According to GLAAD themselves, the “GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.” Whether you believe these nominees have done so or not, remains up to you.
Last year’s GLAAD nominees for video games were also seen as controversial. It included an array of games, such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – despite the game releasing an incredibly homophobic DLC – as well as The Sims Mobile, Guild Wars 2, Pillars of Eternity 2, and Elder Scrolls Online.
“Media stories and storylines that shed light on LGBTQ people of different backgrounds, genders, races, religions, and more, are needed to counter the current politically and culturally divisive moment,” said GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, (via GamesIndustry.Biz). “The GLAAD Awards this year not only celebrate new LGBTQ stories that educate, entertain, and affect positive cultural change, but remind LGBTQ people and allies that in an election year, our visibility and voices have never been more important.”
The nominees this year have already proven to be controversial, but it’s hard to deny that the organization’s heart isn’t in the right place.
The winner of these nominees will be revealed on March 19, 2020.
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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is on the list… whoot? It has homophobic DLC, also the ‘G’ from LGBT+ is the worse representation ever (straight and lesbian have around 10 options while gay guys only have 5 flirt options in the game), also no Life is Strange 2? Really?! Meh..