Culture

6 video games brightened up by LGBT flags

Marvel’s Spider-Man game. (Insomniac Games/Marvel)

Video game Marvel’s Spider Man is rapidly winning over people’s hearts, and not just because players can swing between the skyscrapers of a digital New York as the titular superhero. It’s also becoming one of a few video games to feature an LGBT flag.

For many LGBT+ gamers it’s the inclusion of Pride flags that make their spider sense tingle in a good way.

The video game industry has got a long way to go when it comes to LGBT+ representation, but adding clearly visible rainbow flags is an important step. Almost everybody recognises the symbol and has at least got a rudimentary idea of what it means.

Spider Man is not the first time video game developers decided to include Pride flags in their virtual worlds. Spider Man is, of course, the first on our list but there is an additional five great video games that have featured LGBT flags.

Marvel’s Spider Man

As far as Pride flags in games go, Marvel’s Spider Man is the ultimate example. Not only are there multiple Pride flags and even a whole rainbow wall to find, but the superhero can perch on the flag poles and take selfies with the flags.

Players are using the in-game photo mode to share their encounters with Pride flags on social media. It shows that such a small addition to a large video game world can mean a lot for people that don’t often see their lives portrayed in the stories they play.

LGBT flag in Spider Man video game

Spider Man game features rainbow flag. (Insomniac Games/Marvel)

Smite

One simple way game developers are adding Pride flags is through icons. It enables players to show their pride next to their in-game name during online multiplayer sessions. Popular game Smite added this option. In Smite, players battle each other using characters from mythology and religion.

After the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the creators of Smite decided to let every player use the icon.

On Twitter the official Smite account tweeted: “We stand united with the victims and families of those in Orlando. Receive the Gay Pride Icon for 1 Gem or 1 Favor.”

Other games use similar icons. Even the newest editions of first person shooter series Call of Duty lets players sport rainbow images in their profiles.

inFamous: Second Son

inFamous Second Son, the second game in the PlayStation exclusive video game series, features a protagonist with superpowers. Players can choose to make him a superhero or villain.

In the digital version of Seattle, where the game takes place, players can find a building with multiple Pride flags on it. There’s even a big poster next to the flags which reads “Unity“ and “All are welcome in Seattle, the city of goodwill.”

inFamous: Second Son is one of the first games featuring an open world with Pride flags.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXSRnHZyfjI

Watch_Dogs 2

Open world game Watch_Dogs 2 puts the player in the shoes of a hacker in San Francisco. Gamers are able to find multiple Pride flags hanging around in the digital version of the city. It’s possible to use a remote controlled drone to get a closer look, or use the in-game camera to take a selfie with one of the flags.

Game developer Ubisoft also added rainbow crosswalks. The protagonist of Watch_Dogs 2 can even wear a Pride T-shirt, although he doesn’t specify his sexuality in the game.

Sea of Thieves

In pirate game Sea of Thieves players roam the seas and attack ships of other players. During Pride month in 2018, the creators of the game added a Pride flag for players to attach on top of their flagpoles.

It caused a lot of controversy. On the official Sea of Thieves forums multiple gamers complained that sexuality isn’t supposed to have role in this game. People that use the flag in multiplayer sessions can experience verbal abuse through voice chat.

The creators doubled down with their support of the LGBT+ community with a T-shirt that featured a rainbow skull.

The creators doubled down with their support of the LGBT+ community with a T-shirt that featured a rainbow skull.

All profits from the sales were donated to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.

Grand Theft Auto V: Los Santos Pride

Video game series Grand Theft Auto isn’t known for its LGBT+ representation, but that doesn’t stop creative people from adding stuff that isn’t there.

The Stockholm Pride Organization created Los Santos Pride, a modification for Grand Theft Auto V that adds a Pride parade on the streets of the virtual city of Los Santos, including Pride flags and a “Born this way” T-shirt for one of the main characters.

As a tribute to the shooting at Pulse in Orlando, it is impossible to destroy the Pride parade. Even while GTA is mostly known for its violence. “Why?” the creators ask on the official website. “Because love will always triumph over hate.”

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