Now more than ever, gaming companies are focusing on LGBTQ equality and representation in the workplace, and in the games they create. GLAAD is an organization that monitors LGBTQ representation in the media, and produces the annual GLAAD Media Awards. Nominees for the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards have been announced, including the nominees for Outstanding Video Game.
The GLAAD Media Awards first began in 1990, and since then has aired to honor accurate and inclusive portrayals of the LGBTQ community across various forms of media from television to journalism. The category for Outstanding Video Game wasn't added until 2019, but has become a yearly staple. Obsidian Entertainment's The Outer Worlds won last year, beating out other games that feature LGBTQ characters or narratives such as Apex Legends and Overwatch.
Nominees for more than 25 award categories have been announced for this year's GLAAD Media Awards, and ten games are up for this year's Outstanding Video Game award. Seeing Hades and The Last of Us Part II as nominees might not be a surprise, as both games have been all over award season this year. Hades even just won Game of the Year at the New York Game Awards. The nominees range from indie games to AAA titles, so here is the full list:
32nd GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Video Game Nominees
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla from Ubisoft
Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles from 2K Games
Bugsnax from Young Horses
Hades from Supergiant Games
If Found... from Annapurna Interactive
Ikenfell from Humble Games
Immortals Fenyx Rising from Ubisoft
The Last of Us Part II from Naughty Dog/SIE
Tell Me Why from Xbox Game Studios
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands from Blizzard Entertainment
It will be interesting to see which games takes home the title. Hades has generally been an audience favorite, and doesn't have some of the controversies associated with The Last of Us Part II. Some of the games nominated have very specific LGBTQ stories, some just prominently feature an LGBTQ character, and others have the option for players to choose to pursue certain romances or character traits.
So far, just the nominees for the GLAAD Media Awards have been announced, but more details about the awards show will be revealed soon. Either way, fans will have to wait until April to learn which game with LGBTQ representation takes home the Outstanding Video Game award.
The 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards will air digitally in April 2021.
Source: GLAAD