Harvestella will offer non-binary option in its character creator
Harvestella, a farming simulator from Square Enix set to release this Friday, will include a non-binary option for players.
As pointed out by Eurogamer, this is the very first time that a Square Enix game has given fans of their games the option to pick and play as a character that is non-binary. However, it isn’t the first Square Enix game to include trans and non-binary individuals, with Tyler from Tell Me Why being a trans man.
The news was revealed last week, with Square Enix posting a tweet of the character creator options that are on offer in Harvestella – including gender options, where Male, Female and Non-Binary was listed. Hair, hair colour and skin tone was also included.
The tweet can be viewed below:
The inclusion of a non-binary option in character customization is one of the first we’ve seen in a Japanese video game. However Daisuke Taka, producer of Harvestella, told Eurogamer that the option feels “completely normal.”
Taka told Eurogamer that the “visibility” of non-binary people had become “much more commonplace” and as such, it only made sense for Harvestella to reflect that.
“Using gender-neutral pronouns takes a relatively small amount of effort, yet the positive impact is huge, as it means you are making the effort to include everyone – and our game is for everyone,” Taka continued.
With players being the protagonist of Harvestella, Taka told Eurogamer that they felt it was important for players to create their own character while being able to select different elements that make up said character. That includes appearance, voice, gender, name and more. “We felt this was important so players aren’t limited, and feel free to express themselves however they want and as a result are much more attached to their character,” Taka said.
Harvestella is set to release this Friday on November 4 for PC and the Nintendo Switch. Will you be playing?
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