Dragon Age has always been inherently queer, deal with it

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is proving to be a divisive game. Even before its launch, any review that dared to suggest that the BioWare sequel was excellent faced swift backlash from individuals who know little of joy. Since my review went live, I’ve been called a degenerate, been accused of getting paid to give a positive review, and criticised for spreading my “woke agenda”.

Far from being upset, I find this incessantly noisy minority of the video games community funny. Hilarious, even. They’re red in the face with ire over a game because of its “wokeness” – see, diversity, inclusivity, and LGBTQIA+ allyship – yet the Dragon Age franchise has always been a safe haven for the underrepresented. BioWare hasn’t always got the tone of its inclusivity right, but it’s never shied away from creating inclusive games.

It's time to save Thedas again

It would have been more shocking if The Veilguard abandoned its queer roots rather than allowed them to grow further. Yet you’ll have difficulty convincing the riled-up bigots of that fact. Rather than venture into even a semblance of a discussion, they instead choose to spend their time crucifying a franchise for being true to its origins.

Dragon Age: Origins included two bisexual companions; DA2 was a pansexual feast of an experience; DA: Inquisition continued the tradition while also including a now fan-favourite trans character. The pattern here is clear, as too are the sentiments and ideologies of the creatives behind it. Dragon Age is for everyone save those too blinded by prejudice to see beyond their own ignorance.

Some may find my words harsh, but to them I say that I find their constant attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community far more offensive and alarming than anything I’ve written here.

Our society has steadily descended into a thriving conservative traditionalism. For all the leaps forward I’ve witnessed since the 90s, several more steps have been taken backwards. We’re at a point where people feel that it’s okay to say whatever they want no matter how vindictive, and regardless of how it impacts those affected. Now more than ever is when these unduly targeted communities, of which I am a part of, need escapism. Ideally, we shouldn’t need to escape anything, but sadly we don’t live in such a world.

Games like DA become an extension of our self exploration, of our identities. Yes, for some gamers these adventures merely offer entertainment with no deeper value. However, for others, these experiences are an immersive journey that permits a freedom we’re seldom allowed in reality. Being able to set your pronouns as they/them shouldn’t be a big deal – it should be as natural as breathing. As should being allowed to establish your trans identity over the course of the game if you so wish. Neither of these two features are mandatory, nor do they promote any kind of agenda save the agenda of not being an arsehole. The last time I checked, being a decent person shouldn’t be such a difficult task.

To those who believe I scored The Veilguard highly because of my queerness, are you not exhausted by your constant quest to find something to annoy you? By all means, don’t like DA. Criticise it for what you feel is lacking in terms of gameplay, story, and accessibility; that’s what constructive criticism is all about. But to attack it for inclusivity is the height of laziness and stupidity. You’re upset about a franchise that’s doing what it does best: being welcoming of everyone. How joyless must you be to condemn a fantastical world filled with magical wonderment all because you don’t understand the social construct of gender, nor anything besides the heteronormativity you live your lives by.

I’ve grown up constantly seeing heterosexual characters in every medium – books, TV, films, art – and it’s not turned me straight. I think you’ll be okay existing in a space where a queer franchise caters to its following, don’t you?