Avowed's Pronoun Feature: Why It's Time for the Gaming Industry to Stop Pushing Agendas
The upcoming first-person fantasy RPG Avowed, developed by Obsidian Entertainment under Xbox Game Studios, has opened that pesky can-of-worms controversy over the inclusion of pronouns in its character creation menu once again, and what got hidden, isn't pretty...
I first spotted this on Reddit and oh boy... here we go again. The find, shared by YouTuber Force Gaming during his 20-hour review, has reignited those *groan* debates about for some reason - why these woke developers keep this stupid trend of inserting ideological features into games instead of just making a fun game.
In Force Gaming’s preview, he showed a character menu where his character was labeled with “He/Him” pronouns. They're not going to win this. All it does ultimately is doom your company.
While seemingly a minor feature, its inclusion has broader implications, as it is part of a larger push to normalize gender ideology within media and entertainment. In his video preview, Force Gaming states:
"For whatever reason they didn't let us record the intro to the game"
...and subsequently blaming the character creation as some kind of potential 'spoilers' reason... but we all know the reality. The elephant in the room. It's because, like every game in the fantasy genre pushing this ideology, they know the game would be facing a tremendous amount of backlash and brigade of folks wanting to cancel the game before it even releases... and honestly, at that point, you know that THEY know what they are doing is NOT wanted by gamers everywhere, but they still inject it anyways.
We found it regardless, so Obsidian's attempt to hide the ideology injection is made even worse now because of it. The lack of transparency with your audience is insidious. It's gross. It needs to stop.
Avowed will launch on February 18, 2025 for PC and Xbox Series X/S... and it's already off to a sketchy start.
The Issue with Pronouns in Games
The inclusion of pronouns in games has never been welcome, by the OVERWHELMING majority of gamers. On the surface, developers and the vocal minority always try to paint it as an effort to be inclusive, but it is forced, unnecessary, and completely out of place in fantasy settings—but really, it has no place in ANY games. In a game like Avowed, set in a medieval-inspired world of swords and sorcery, the addition of pronouns introduces modern sociopolitical concepts that directly breaks immersion for players. You gotta wonder then... Why do this?
Beyond immersion, this trend raises concerns about the intent behind such features. When developers continue to prioritize ideological statements over storytelling and gameplay, it alienated the very audience they're trying to sell their game to. We expect games to transport us into fantastical worlds, not to serve as platforms for modern debates. Get this shit tf out of my games!
Why This Trend Needs to Stop
The decision for Microsoft's Obsidian Entertainment to include pronouns in Avowed is part of a broader push within the gaming industry to cater to niche political ideologies at the expense of creative freedom. By them embedding these features into the core mechanics of gameplay, developers are telling you straight up that they DO NOT CARE what you want your games to be like.
These features come with a tone of moral superiority, implying that anyone who objects are somehow opposed to inclusivity. This dismissive attitude overlooks any of our legitimate concerns feeling that games are becoming far less about escapism these days and far more about agendas.
The Role of Xbox and Microsoft
Microsoft has been BEYOND vocal in promoting representation and inclusivity in gaming. Their approach has come under quite a bit of scrutiny.
The company’s Gaming For Everyone framework includes guidelines for developers that emphasize avoiding gender barriers and stereotypes, but their 'policies' go waaaay beyond inclusivity and delve into enforcing specific narratives.
By focusing on elements like pronouns, armor design, and body proportions, Microsoft is telling players that care for true immersion to go f themselves. Your input is being ignored in favor of pandering to terminally online sociopaths.
Their efforts also stifle creativity, as developers feel pressured to adhere to these DEI guidelines rather than crafting organic, engaging stories and characters.
Elon Musk Weighs In
The growing pushback against ideological features in games has gained a significant ally: Elon Musk.
He has recently taken up his axe in the battle and tweeted a few times, even so far as retweeting good friend of the channel @Grummz on this topic.
The influential entrepreneur recently took to social media to voice his concerns, tweeting support for anything anti-DEI. Musk’s sentiment reflects an even broader frustration among gamers and creators who feel that our entertainment is being hijacked by activists pushing ideological agendas.
Musk’s influence cannot be understated. As a cultural and technological leader, his opinions resonate with millions. When he tweets, people listen and take note. Change happens.
His criticism of trends like the inclusion of pronouns in games is a powerful statement that will hopefully eventually encourage developers and publishers to rethink their "priorities".
The Future of Gaming
Inclusivity should NEVER come at the cost of compromising immersion and creativity. Games like Avowed should be celebrated for their ability to transport players to fantastical worlds, not scrutinized for their adherence to modern ideologies... but unfortunately, this is the bed they've made, and will subsequently have to lay in it. For me, I have made the decision to not support developers that do this with their games, no matter how 'great' the scores or conversation surrounding it may be.
If the gaming industry continues down this path, it will only widen the divide between creators and their audience. Developers instead should be striking a balance between respecting their paying customers and maintaining the integrity of their art. As more voices, including figures like Elon Musk, call for a course correction, hopefully the industry takes note and refocus on what truly matters: making great games.
~Smash
