Ohhhh man - do we have a major misstep on our hands today- an unintended set of notes in the PC version of Dragon Age: The Veilguard has come to light, showing a far deeper ideological message embedded within the game than anyone could have imagined.
I gotta be honest - what I'm about to talk about here... I assumed was fake, because it was just so ridiculous. But no. Upon further review, and more evidence coming to light - this is no rumor...
The newly discovered in-game notes, styled like a personal diary or writer’s notes, contain quite the 'provocative' entries exploring trans identities and gender dysphoria. Initially found by Twitter user Laureano Gutiérrez (@laureanojgv - above), who provided video proof of the discovery (below).
These "notes" have stirred up significant conversation among fans and critics alike. @Grummz picked up on the situation, calling attention to what some see as an accidental reveal of a trans ideology embedded within the game...
The contents of these notes include statements like:
“Trans woman IS woman.”
“Valid even if no words when younger.”
“Could feel uncomfortable with girls who act more feminine.”
“No. I like girls. Girls smell good.”
“Like hanging out with Lords more than girls.”
The style of these notes feels informal, unfiltered, and even somewhat... disjointed. They read far less like in-character thoughts and way more like a kind of personal introspection, leading to speculation that these are reflections from the writer- many assume from the openly trans lead developer Corinne Busche himself, rather than genuine lore for the character.
This has led a bunch of folks to criticize even more of what they see as a 'forced ideological' push into the game. And again, let's remind everyone that Dragon Age Veilguard's director, Corinne Busche (below), is openly transgender, and the intent behind these notes is pretty apparent when you have the full picture...
Though to be fair - at this point- it remains unclear if Busche is the author of the content or... if these lines were intended to be Taash’s internal thoughts. We can take a pretty good educated guess though...
A Narrative Choice or a Propaganda Push?
While some argue that these notes were simply just part of Taash's character development, others see it as a full on "mask slip" moment - exposing what I strongly believe is an ideological agenda being pushed full-force within Dragon Age Veilguard. The notes themselves bounce between personal and universal statements about gender, which... muddles the distinction between character-building and writer projection. But regardless of "intent", the lines feel extremely poorly integrated, disrupting any kind of real immersion and raising questions about whether Veilguard was more interested in storytelling or... more likely, pushing a 'particular' social message.
Ideology vs. Storytelling in Modern Gaming
This isn't the first time a Dragon Age game has stirred up conversations about social themes. BioWare has a reputation for infusing their games with diverse character backgrounds and socially progressive themes. But these notes take it WAY further than anything we've seen before, presenting what reads as a diary entry filled with modern trans affirmations and internal conflicts that feel far more 'personal' than in-game story telling. This permeated all of Bioware, as a whistleblower reached out to me to help expose just how bad it really was on the inside during game development.
...But getting back to the in-game 'manifesto', statements like “Trans woman IS woman” and “Valid even if no words when younger” seem more fitting for a personal journal or social media post than for a piece of fantasy game lore. It's so out of the blue, disjointed, and immersion breaking - and it raises the question of how much of the writer's voice should influence character voice and where the line between narrative depth and ideological insertion lies.
This is insidious ideology creeping into mainstream gaming, hidden under the guise of fantasy "lore"... and with this slip up, it has most folks on twitter right now expressing concern over whether BioWare's direction with Veilguard aligns with fan expectations for the Dragon Age series.
Lore or Lecture? Fans Demand Clarity
The issue here isn't completely because of the 'inclusion' of trans or non-binary characters - but the feeling that these notes break immersion, veering far too close to personal introspection rather than any kind of genuine character-building. If these are Taash's in-character thoughts, then why is it written so ambiguously and all over the place? And if they're not... why would it be in the game at all?"
This isn't the first time a gaming company has been accused of letting ideology overshadow storytelling, and it likely, unfortunately at this rate, won’t be the last. BioWare has yet to respond to the controversy or clarify the origins of these notes, and I wouldn't hold my breath on that ever happening. Some fans are urging the company to make a statement, while others are calling for BioWare to respect players’ immersion and focus on narrative quality rather than ideological messaging. I am expecting this to be patched out in an update, because there's just no way they intended this to be in there, and tbh, its embarrassing...
As Dragon Age Veilguard continues to spark controversy, people are growing increasingly vocal about what is perceived as ideological pushes within popular gaming franchises. Whether intentional or a simple error, either way it's a terrible look, and this discovery has exposed an ideological layer that, for worse, now complicates the relationship between game developers and gamers. As of now, BioWare has yet to address the notes' origin, leaving fans to wonder whether this "mask slip" was a mere accident or a reflection of the company’s narrative priorities.
For now, we're left to speculate, and the gaming community continues to vehemently reject the ideas of 'modern' personal ideologies being injected into video game fantasy storytelling.
