Musician Mila Jam makes history as first playable Black trans woman in a major studio’s video game
Mila Jam lent her likeness and voice to the character Bazz in Concord. (Getty/Instagram/Sony Interactive).
Singer-songwriter Mila Jam has revealed that she will feature in the latest PlayStation game, Concord.
The Black transgender activist, full name Jahmila Adderley, shared the news in an Instagram post, announcing that she voiced and gave her likeness to the free-gunner, Bazz, in the first-person shooter.
“I had to go for a walk because I just don’t like it when PlayStation wants to turn me into the baddest, knife-wielding assassin in all the land,” she wrote. “That’s right, yours truly as free-gunner Bazz in PlayStation’s new multi-player video game Concord.”
While Bazz is believed to be the first playable Black trans woman in a major studio’s video game, she isn’t the first Black trans-feminine character to feature in one: the non-playable character Miranda Comay appeared in Watch Dogs 2 in 2016.
Bazz is described in-game as “bold on the battlefield and in her fashion game.” Unlike her fellow Concord competitors, Bazz wields knives rather than a gun.
Jam’s Instagram post featured a screenshot of the character in her dazzling red attire.
The American singer is best-known for queer songs such as It’s Raining Them, Just Sayin’, and Eye On You. She became the first trans artist to feature at the Democratic National Convention and has performed at Chicago Pride.
In an interview with Out magazine, she said she defied those who tell her she can’t be her best self and is “not supposed to be where I am”, adding: “I should, I will and I do.”
Bazz is one of 16 playable characters in PlayStation’s arena shooter, released last month on PC platforms and PlayStation 5. The game has had a less-than-ideal launch, however, with an all-time peak of just 660 concurrent players and selling only 25,000 copies, according to industry analysts.
On its release day, Concord ranked 147th in daily active players on the PlayStation 5 in the US, with just 0.2 per cent of those active players continuing to play days later.
Research analyst Rhys Elliott told gaming website IGN: “Sadly, making a fun, high-quality shooter is not enough in the oversaturated live-service space these days. A tight-knit group of players might be willing to take a chance on a new game for free, but paying $40 (£30) is a big ask in today’s climate.”
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