The gaming industry is experiencing a notable demographic shift. According to GLAAD’s 2024 Gaming Report, 17% of gamers in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+, up from 10% in 2020. Yet, meaningful LGBTQ+ representation in video games remains surprisingly rare. While LGBTQ+ characters appear in 28% of mainstream films and 11% of primetime TV shows, only about 2% of games released in 2023 featured openly LGBTQ+ characters. This gap is not just a statistical curiosity. It signals a deeper reluctance within gaming to fully embrace queer narratives, despite the growing visibility of LGBTQ+ voices.
Large Gaming Companies See LGBTQ+ Inclusion as a Risk
Large, big-budget AAA studios have historically avoided significant LGBTQ+ inclusion because they fear potential backlash and regional market challenges more than they value providing an authentic queer-centered narrative. Moreover, toxic online cultures often target games that promote diversity, creating additional pressure for developers to steer clear of LGBTQ+ themes to avoid negative reviews. For these reasons, LGBTQ+ characters, if they are included, rarely make it into the heart of a game’s story, more often being sidelined or added for a fee via optional side content after release. However, some AAA titles have begun taking tentative steps toward inclusion. For example, The Last of Us Part II features a lesbian protagonist with a deeply developed story, while Apex Legends, a popular multiplayer game, has added nonbinary and transgender characters to their core roster through free updates.
Data: LGBTQ Video Game Archive and Moby Games Database via Public Books
Indie Inclusion: LGBTQ+ Stories Take Center Stage
Indie developers, on the other hand, have become pioneers in authentic queer storytelling. Defined by smaller teams, creative freedom, and self-publishing, indie studios are less constrained by commercial pressures or investor expectations. This autonomy allows them to craft nuanced narratives where LGBTQ+ narratives are central, not token additions, and challenge traditional gaming norms by experimenting with structures and gameplay mechanics to capture the complexities of queer identities. The widely beloved Undertale, for example, has a non-binary main character that is consistently referred to with they/them pronouns, as well as a romantic storyline highlighting a lesbian relationship. These and other indie successes are helping shift industry perspectives by proving that games centered on LGBTQ+ stories can find dedicated audiences and critical acclaim.
Representation Breaks Down Stigmas and Fosters Acceptance
The indie market serves as a critical space for community building, offering not just representation for LGBTQ+ players, but also connection and validation in a medium where queer experiences are often marginalised. Even more critically, the emotional resonance and intimacy of these games help foster empathy and understanding among players of all backgrounds, helping break stereotypes and encourage inclusive thinking towards the LGBTQ+ community.
As a gamer, I find the growing LGBTQ+ representation in video games exciting. Representation matters because it allows players to feel seen and accepted, especially when they may have to hide who they are in their day-to-day lives. Inclusive spaces within gaming are being created, although they still fall short of reflecting the LGBTQ+ gamer community’s true size and diversity. With continued support from both developers and players, I hope LGBTQ+ narratives will soon become a natural and essential part of gaming culture, allowing LGBTQ+ people to see themselves reflected in their favorite media the same way that cis heterosexual gamers can.
This article was written by a guest contributor, T. Chirambo.
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