A group of video game enthusiasts have expressed their opinions loudly, causing a stir on the internet due to the inclusion of pronouns in the game “Avowed” and the response from its developer, Matt Hansen.
At long last, the highly anticipated RPG from seasoned veterans of the genre, Obsidian Entertainment, has arrived. It transports fans on Xbox and PC on an immersive first-person fantasy journey within the realm associated with another Obsidian franchise, “Pillars of Eternity.
Upon launch, the game “Avowed” was generally well-received with a rating of 82 out of 100 on OpenCritic, a review aggregator site. Critics commended the game for its intense combat and conversational system that offers choices to players, enabling them to create their unique paths.
Why Are People Mad at Avowed’s Pronoun Options?
The game developed by Obsidian Entertainment, titled “Avowed“, has stirred up a heated debate due to its choice of character pronouns.
In the role-playing game developed by Xbox Game Studios, released for both consoles and computers on February 18th, the selected pronouns of your player character are highlighted on the in-game character interface, along with important stats such as level, experience points, and class.
This decision sparked anger within a part of the gaming community, with many vocal supporters (primarily from conservative groups) perceiving it as the developers imposing specific political beliefs on them.
For several months, there has been much debate surrounding this issue. In November 2024, Avowed‘s Art Director Matt Hansen publicly addressed the ongoing dispute about pronoun usage in relation to some pre-launch footage showcasing the feature online.
On his Bluesky account, Hansen posted a screenshot of Elon Musk’s X profile showing his displeasure with the character pronoun options in a particular game. In reply to this, Hansen expressed, “‘I can hardly believe it, but I managed to make him irritated with my game!’
I really hoped to provoke him with my game, and I can hardly believe it worked out! You’ll be amazed when you see the default setting – you called it ‘little nonsense’.”
This version maintains the original meaning while using less formal language and a more engaging tone.
This resulted in resistance from critics of the game, who highlighted the ability to hide the pronouns section on the character screen as a feature in the final version of “Avowed”.
Others perceived this choice as a victory, suggesting that Obsidian was compelled to propose it due to the topic being raised, but upon closer examination, it appears that they may not have been coerced into doing so.
As a passionate film enthusiast, I can’t help but feel that certain online critics have magnified the scrutiny on this movie like never before. Ever since its debut, they seem to be on the hunt for any flaw or issue to complain about.
The game boasts a broad range of characters, leading some conservative sectors in America to question if diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) guidelines were implemented during production – a topic they’ve been critical of since Donald Trump became U.S. President.
In simpler terms, these passionate gamers believe that the supposed political bias within the game is responsible for its underwhelming debut and slow initial sales.
Keep in mind that while the figures are derived from the game’s SteamDB page (reaching a peak of 17,171 within its first 24 hours), it’s essential to note that Avowed was also released on other platforms, such as one where users can obtain it for free on PC through the Xbox Game Pass subscription.
It didn’t spark worldwide chaos upon its debut, but given the current data available, it might be premature to draw definitive conclusions about the game’s success or failure at launch.
With whispers of a declared PlayStation 5 launch on the horizon, there’s a possibility that it may take some time for players to fully understand Xbox’s perspective on the console’s post-release performance.
Avowed is available on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
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2025-02-19 19:07