'Apex Legends' Players React to LGBTQ Character Reveals

Games, movies, TV, books -- there are so many forms of media out there that are aiming to be more [...]

Games, movies, TV, books -- there are so many forms of media out there that are aiming to be more inclusive of all types of fans. While we've often seen romantic backstories in the past, it seems that when those relationships turn same-sex, the reaction tends to be much more intense. With the recent revelation of some of the Apex Legends characters and their backstories, two of the reveals included two LGBTQ characters and predictably, the Internet reacted.

One of the characters, Gibraltar, had a small snippet that just had one line talking about a boyfriend. Just one line, simple and didn't cloud his entire backstory, "He only began to understand the value of protecting others when he and his boyfriend stole his father's motorcycle, took it on a joyride, and got trapped by a deadly mudslide.":

Apex-Legends-Gibraltar-EA-online-bio

Though gay representation in games is becoming less and less uncommon, one critique of reveals is that it happens so many years after release making it seem like a bait of sorts. With Apex Legends, the game is a week old and these reveals aim to help new players look about the characters they've just met. In a battle royale game, it's hard to have story so these lore bits help to beef up the substance that the game has to offer for those that enjoy a good story.

The second character was revealed to be non-binary, as community manager Jay Frenchette talks about Bloodhound and what they bring to the table in a recent interview with Rock, Paper, Shotgun.

Despite this being a story introduction like many other, the opinion of the characters seemed to trigger a lot of anger, whereas others were happy for the natural inclusion:

Romance as part of a tragic backstory is absolutely nothing new. This isn't a quest mandatory to take on before playing the game, so for those that are upset - it's easy to overlook and simply enjoy it for the battle royale title it is. Plus, it's free.

Ready to try it out for yourself? Apex Legends is now available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The team also talked a little bit about cross-play plans and what that means for progress, you can learn more about that right here with our previous coverage.

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