Gamers are accusing the new hit game Starfield of pushing “identity politics” after discovering pronoun selection has become a part of the character creation process.
Starfield is a role-playing game created by Bethesda, which Microsoft recently acquired for $7.5 billion. In the game, players explore a galaxy with a character they get to create.
However, players are prompted to choose their preferred pronouns after selecting a male or female character. The game also includes the option for players to select “they/them” pronouns.
The decision to force players to choose pronouns for their playable character has led some to accuse Bethesda of including divisive identity politics into a game meant to be an escape from contemporary politics.
Popular YouTuber and streamer Herschel Beahm IV, aka DrDisRespect, sparked online controversy when he expressed his disapproval of the game’s pronoun selection option on his livestream.
On his stream, Beahm paused creating his character after learning about the pronoun selection option to look up Bethesda’s head of publishing, Pete Hines, and check if Hines displays his preferred pronouns in his X (formerly Twitter) bio, which he does.
“Now everything’s starting to make sense, everything’s starting to make sense now,” said Beahm.
Beahm was not alone in his disappointment with Bethesda’s inclusion of “identity politics” into video games, as gamers from across the internet have expressed their frustration and have even threatened to seekrefunds.
Bethesda did not respond to a request for comment from True North.
The gaming world has not been immune from gender controversy. When the popular Harry Potter game Hogwarts Legacy was released earlier this year, left-wing activists concerned with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s statements on gender called for a boycott. The game still sold 15 million copies in just under four months.
