BioWare apologises about representation of trans character in Mass Effect: Andromeda
The makers of Mass Effect have apologised for a lack of proper trans representation in the latest edition, Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Some fans had complained about the character Hainly Abrmas, a scientific director who explains her former name to Ryder, a total stranger.
Sam Greer wrote of the interaction: “It feels forced, as if BioWare had to tick off ‘trans character’ on some checklist.”
And BioWare, which makes the series, has responded to say it agrees and will change the interaction in an upcoming patch, reports Eurogamer.
“At BioWare we strive to make games that are representative of our players and the broader world around us. We do this by actively consulting with our diverse workforce, as well as speaking with different communities,” the developer wrote.
“In Mass Effect: Andromeda, one of our non-player characters, Hainly Abrams, was not included in a caring or thoughtful way. We apologise to anyone who interacted with or was hurt by this conversation. This was never our intent, and was an unfortunate byproduct of the iterative process of game design and a change in the structure of the character’s dialogue.”
The developer went further to say it would alter the dialogue in an upcoming update.
“We have had several discussions with members of the transgender community, both internally at BioWare and in the broad community, and we are working to remedy this issue. Once the changes are implemented, Hainly will only reveal certain information to Ryder after they have developed trust, and only if the players chooses to support her,” BioWare adds.
The game, released earlier this year, is the newest in a collection of games which have sold a combined 13 million copies.
The series has enjoyed a huge global following since it began 10 years ago, and the latest edition is expected to be bought three million times in its first week.
And it has been revealed that the new game follows in the footsteps of Mass Effect 1, 2 and 3 in including gay, straight and human-alien sexual encounters.
Playing as protagonist Scott Ryder, you can flirt with either ship engineer Gil Brodie or smuggler Reyes Vidal – or both.
