Ten Video Games Nominated for the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards
The 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards have announced their nominees, celebrating media that provides “fair, accurate, and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives.” This prestigious program honors achievements across television, film, music, theater, journalism, comics, and video games. Among the nominees this year are ten exceptional video games that have made meaningful strides in LGBTQ representation.
One of the standout nominees for 2024 is the re-release of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo Switch. The original 2002 Japanese version of the GameCube classic featured Vivian, a minor character who is transgender. In the game, her story touches on challenges like being misgendered and her journey toward self-acceptance. Unfortunately, these elements were removed in the international translations, including the English version released in the United States. However, the Switch re-release restored Vivian’s original dialogue and story arc, allowing English-speaking players to experience her narrative for the first time as it was intended.
Another notable nominee is Dragon Age: The Veilguard by BioWare, a studio with a long-standing tradition of including queer characters and romance options in their games. BioWare continues this legacy with The Veilguard, reinforcing their commitment to inclusive storytelling that resonates with players.
Horror enthusiasts may recognize Blumhouse as a leader in the film industry, but the studio’s first venture into video games, the indie project Fear the Spotlight, has also earned a nomination. This small but powerful game demonstrates the potential for authentic representation even within the horror genre.
Here’s the complete list of video game nominees for the 36th Annual GLAAD Media Awards:
- Caravan SandWitch (Studio Plane Toast / Dear Villagers)
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard (BioWare / Electronic Arts)
- Dread Delusion (Lovely Hellplace / DreadXP)
- Dustborn (Red Thread Games / Spotlight by Quantic Dream)
- Fear the Spotlight (Cozy Game Pals / Blumhouse Games)
- Life is Strange: Double Exposure (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
- Minds Beneath Us (BearBone Studio)
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Intelligent Systems / Nintendo)
- Sorry We’re Closed (à la mode games / Akupara Games)
- Until Then (Polychroma Games / Maximum Entertainment)
These nominations highlight the strides being made in the video game industry to present authentic and inclusive LGBTQ stories. As video games continue to grow as a storytelling medium, representation in this space becomes even more significant in creating a more inclusive entertainment landscape.
