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Donald Trump has vowed to dismantle as many DEI programs as possible when he returns to the White House. Yet, thereβs one domain where diversity, equity, and inclusion arenβt just survivingβtheyβre thriving.Β The world of video games.Β
βCall of Duty,β one of the most iconic gaming franchises in history, recently introduced Rossi, its first nonbinary character with they/them pronouns. Some might dismiss this as mere virtue signaling, but itβs part of a far larger agenda.
As mainstream media declines, gaming β a market of 212 million US players βhas become the perfect platform for DEI tenets to flourish.
DEI ideology first took root in universities, and todayβs game developers are its natural byproducts.
Earlier this year, footage surfaced of Dani Lalonders, an associate narrative designer at EAβs Seattle-based Cliffhanger Games, openly bragging about excluding white people from her team for being βhard to work with.β
This is hardly an isolated incident. βPokΓ©mon Legends: Arceus,β for instance, was accused by Vice of promoting colonialism (it doesnβt).
And βSuper Mario Kartβ has faced allegations of βwhite privilege,β despite Mario and Luigi being a pair of blue-collar plumbers trying to save a princess.Β
βGrand Theft Auto 6,β set to drop next year, looks poised to trade its edgy legacy for a dose of wokeness.
A former employee of maker Rockstar Games hinted fans might be βupsetβ by GTAβs new direction.
And the trailer suggests why.
It predominantly depicts African-American communities in a move many long-time fans dismissed as blatant identity politics.
Some viewers lamented on Reddit the near-absence of white characters and accused Rockstar Games of pushing a political agenda.
Luciaβs introduction as a Latina lead only intensified the backlash.
For DEI advocates, video games are appealing not just for their global player base, but for the amount of hours young, impressionable audiences spend immersed in these virtual worlds.
A quarter of Americans game 3-7 hours a week, another 25% play 8-12 hours, and 25% exceed 13 hours. Unlike TV shows, there are no ad breaks, no pauses β just relentless, uninterrupted engagement.
Sweet Baby Inc., a major player in gaming, may carry a cutesy name. However, the Montreal-based company has been instrumental in spreading harmful ideologies throughout the industry.
With its focus on game writing and diversity consulting, Sweet Baby has influenced titles like βGod of War: RagnarΓΆk,β βMarvelβs Spider-Man 2β and βAlan Wake 2.βΒ
In βRagnarΓΆk,β their politics are unmistakable, with the Norse goddess Angrboda reimagined as black.
The Norse were many things, but black wasnβt one of them.Β
Compare that with the company Ubisoft β where many Sweet Baby employees once worked.
The company is committed to accurate representation; so much so that their digital recreation of Notre Dame Cathedral became a critical reference for restoring the landmark after the 2019 fire.
The backlash against Sweet Baby has been brutal. On Steam, a digital gaming community, over 450,000 users have rallied behind a list titled βSweet Baby Inc. detected,β boycotting any game influenced by the companyβs ideology.Β
Some folks, however, applaud this focus on identity. βSpider-Man 2,β another Sweet Baby βtriumph,β was praised by The Gamer for its relentless promotion of βqueerness.β
The author of the piece, Jade King, described the game as βfruity,β praising the βdistinct LGBTQ+ representation everywhere you look, from walls of street art to smaller side quests.β
Ms. King also praised the bisexuality of the character Black Cat calling it a perfect fit β a seductive thief who lures vulnerable men into her web, exploits them, and then flips the script by choosing to love another woman instead.
Is this a video game or a low-budget adult film?
Meanwhile, βDragon Age: The Veilguard,β a brand-new fantasy role-playing game, allows users to create trans or non-binary heroes, reflecting gamingβs relentless push to make every narrative a vehicle for identity politics.
With only 0.5% of young adults identifying as transgender, this isnβt representation; itβs a distortion of reality.
The once-meritocratic world of gaming has been replaced by divisive ideology and bland storytelling. Complex characters and compelling narratives have given way to lifeless avatars designed to tick ideological boxes, reducing games to a dull binary of oppressors and oppressed. β
Gaming was once a sanctuary for creativity and exploration.
But like mainstream media and academia, itβs been hijacked by gatekeepers more obsessed with quotas than quality.
Mario and Luigi are barely scraping by; at this rate, the brothers might soon be out of work entirely.