| GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Video Game | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Excellence in depiction of theLGBT (lesbian,gay,bisexual, andtransgender) community in video games |
| Venue | Varies |
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | GLAAD |
| First award | March 28, 2019; 6 years ago (2019-03-28) |
| 2025 winner(s) | Dragon Age: The Veilguard |
TheGLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Video Game is an annual award that honorsvideo games for excellence in the depiction ofLGBT (lesbian,gay,bisexual, andtransgender)characters and themes. It is one of several categories of the annualGLAAD Media Awards, which are presented byGLAAD—an Americannon-governmentalmedia monitoring organization founded in 1985—at ceremonies in New York City and Los Angeles between March and May.[1]
The award was first given at the30th GLAAD Media Awards in 2019 toThe Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset, anexpansion pack developed byZeniMax Online Studios and published byBethesda Softworks forThe Elder Scrolls Online. The32nd ceremony in 2021 marks the only instance where a tie has occurred, withThe Last of Us Part II (developed byNaughty Dog and published bySony Interactive Entertainment) andTell Me Why (developed byDontnod Entertainment and published byXbox Game Studios) both winning the award.
For a video game to be eligible, it must contain "outstanding LGBTQ-inclusive content",[2][3] consisting of LGBT characters and stories that are "authentic and impactful".[4] An important criterion is to what extent the LGBT-inclusive content is integrated into the gameplay, specifically in regard to player agency and the game's world.[3] Said LGBT-inclusive content must be revealed either within the game itself, or alternate media that arecanonical to the game's world.[4] Since 2021, only video games from majordevelopers andpublishers are eligible as standard, although a game from non-major developers and publishers can still be nominated if it achieves a similar level of visibility and impact to a mainstream work.[5] If a game was released prior to the eligibility period, it can still be nominated if "substantial new first-party content" is released during the eligibility period, with said content being evaluated.[4][2]
Video games selected by GLAAD are evaluated based on four criteria: "Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representations" of the LGBT community, "Boldness and Originality" of the project, significant "Impact" on mainstream culture, and "Overall Quality" of the project.[6] GLAAD monitors mainstream media to identify which video games will be nominated, while also issuing a Call for Entries that encourages media outlets to submit games for consideration. Video games created by and for an LGBT audience must be submitted in order to be considered for nomination, as GLAAD does not monitor such works for defamation.[6] Winners are determined by a plurality vote by GLAAD staff and board, Shareholders Circle members,[a] as well as volunteers and affiliated individuals.[6] Since 2019[update], the award has been given to eight video games. The most current recipient of the award isDragon Age: The Veilguard, developed byBioWare, which won at the36th GLAAD Media Awards in 2025.
The award has received some criticism, especially during 2019 and 2020, for its emphasis on mainstreamTriple-A video games, which is often viewed as occurring at the expense ofindie ones. Furthermore, criticism has also been aimed at the fact many of the mainstream games nominated contained minimal levels of LGBT-inclusive content and representation.
In September 2018,GLAAD announced the introduction of a category at theGLAAD Media Awards for recognizing video games.[8] According to Zeke Stokes, the Vice President of Programs, GLAAD had been interested in the video game medium for years.[9] Some of the factors that led to the creation of the Outstanding Video Game category were, according to Stokes, 2017 being a turning point in the industry—given the plethora of LGBT-inclusive video games released in that year—as well as video games being one of the primary sources of entertainment for youngsters.[9]
Stokes acknowledged that in contrast to films and television series, video games and especiallyTriple-A games rarely include LGBTQ characters and themes.[9] While independent games are more inclusive of such content, GLAAD is interested in Triple-A games including LGBT themes, especially given the size of the industry.[9] Prior to announcing the creation of the category, GLAAD had consulted various gaming studios, to ensure that the category would have "weight and meaning and attract submissions to give the industry an optimistic path forward".[9]
In January 2019, GLAAD announced the inaugural Outstanding Video Game nominees, one of which wasAssassin's Creed Odyssey. The game'sLegacy of the First Bladedownloadable content attracted controversy for featuring a storyline placing the player characterAlexios or Kassandra in an unavoidable heterosexual relationship that results in an offspring.[10] In a statement addressing the game's inclusion, GLAAD's Associate Director of Gaming Blair Durkee also criticized the storyline for giving the impression that sexual orientation can be changed and that LGBT individuals can "choose to conform to heteronormative expectations in spite of their identities".[10] However, she defended the nomination ofAssassin's Creed Odyssey, acknowledging that progress can be complicated and that in order to motivate video game developers and publishers to continue making "these types of bold moves in the future, we must allow for growth, acknowledge that missteps do occur, and give proper credit where credit is due".[10]
| ‡ | Indicates the winner |
Following the category's announcement,Polygon's Owen S. Good lamented that, given the award's eligibility criteria,indie games inclusive of LGBT characters and themes such asTacoma,Butterfly Soup, andDream Daddy could not be nominated.[2] CJ Adriessen ofDestructoid was disappointed by the inaugural nominees in 2019, arguing thatThe Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories deserved a nomination given its positive and respectful representation of trans people,[25] and described the game's exclusion as having "le[ft] a rotten taste in [his] mouth".[25]
Also discussing the category's inaugural nominees, Jay Castello ofRock Paper Shotgun criticized the inclusion ofAssassin's Creed Odyssey, particularly in light of itsLegacy of the First Blade DLC.[26] Castello argued that—especially given GLAAD's own criticisms of the DLC—Odyssey "wasn't, in fact, 'outstanding'",[26] pointing out that all optional love interests in it areplayersexual, and how the game does not offer enough same-sex options for Alexios.[26] Furthermore, they argued that indie games such asHeaven Will Be Mine andHardcoded, which deal heavily with LGBT themes and are made by LGBTQ+ people—unlikeAssassin's Creed Odyssey andThe Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset—were more deserving of recognition.[26]
Imogen Beckhelling, also ofRock Paper Shotgun, would go on to criticize the 2020 nominees, arguing that it is still "missing the point",[27] pointing out how inOverwatch bothTracer andSoldier: 76 are revealed to be queer only in the tie-in comics, outside of the game.[27] While Beckhelling believed that LGBT representation in video games is important, and progress in Triple-A games should be celebrated, she argued that indie games deserve more recognition, singling outHeart of the Woods for praise.[27]
Regarding the 2022 ceremony, Jade King described the nominees as consisting of "both triple-A titles and indie hits".[28] While King acknowledged some of the nominees' representation was minimal and the games were included likely to "make up the numbers",[28] she recognized that progress is not a linear process, and described the list as being well-founded.[28]
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