World of Warcraft's highly anticipated expansion Shadowlands arrives on October 26 and will bring new visibility to LGBTQ+ quests, storylines, and even character choices. One of the main story arcs in the Shadows Rising book, leading up to the expansion, includes the budding romance between the Kul Tiran light sailor Flynn Fairwind and the sarcastic, dry Stormwind spymaster Mathias Shaw, for example.
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(Image credit: Blizzard) The two worked together on a previous series of in-game quests through the treasure trove of the Golden City of Dazar'alor as part of the events leading up to the Battle of Dazar raid instance. 'alor, and their chemistry. It was obvious. Fans immediately began "shipping" the two, writing stories about a possible relationship, and Blizzard internally thought along the same lines. “We really liked the chemistry of these characters. It kind of spoke to us,” said Steve Danuser, Warcraft Senior Narrative Designer for Blizzard Entertainment. “We could have had them friends if we wanted to, but we feel like men, they have a much deeper connection and it's something that could feel like a really genuine relationship. It was really perfect for these characters. The developers mentioned the couple to Madeleine Roux, the New York Times best-selling author of the book. She echoed that thread with enthusiasm, and the result is a flirtation (highly rated PG) between the two men as part of her storylines. “Matthias had never seen the other man from this distance. He hadn't noticed that Flynn smelled of soap and salt as strong as whiskey, and the combination was heady. His leather coat was warm to the touch, retaining the lingering sunlight and body heat. “World of Warcraft is not known for its novels. Many of the marriages we have seen have had tragic endings,” Danuser said. “It's not like we're changing the game to talk about romance. But there is a place for that, where it seems to improve the story or the characters. “I think Flynn and Shaw made this really natural combination that was fun to see through the missions in the game, in Shadows Rising and other writing that we have to come. I think you will see this chemistry blossom even more. They are fun characters to write for. "
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The beyond of Shadowlands is a matter of choice
In the Afterlife-themed Shadowlands, players will spend roughly a quarter of their leveling time in the Bastion area. Angelic Zone trains those spirits that will aid the worthy in their transition from death to the afterlife, and one of the first characters players encounter is Pelagos, who is training to climb those ranks. Pelagos lived her mortal life as a female and appears as a male form in the afterlife. She does not play a significant role in the missions experienced by the players; if they're not careful, they might not notice the story element at all. But a number of dialogue options, beginning with "Do you remember your past life?", give players who want to know more a chance to explore.
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(Image credit: Blizzard) “I had a feminine way in life,” says Pelagos. “I don't remember my old name, or even my race, but…I never felt like my physical form represented who I was on the inside. It never seemed so clear to me as now. I've struggled with that identity my whole life... But when I got to Bastion, I became a wannabe who looked like, well... this! A masculine form! I felt... at ease! Excited! As if I was inside matched what others saw for the first time! All these feelings in my life finally made sense. Pelagos' in-game pronouns changed during the development process, prompting Blizzard to post a clarification on the game's forums. "The team had originally written to him to use his/her pronouns, but received feedback that he/she would be more respectful of the character's wishes to be identified as male," it read in part. "This change is simply the result of listening and responding to that feedback." This feedback came from both the gaming community and internal Blizzard staff, as Pelagos's story was developed and the first vocal lines were recorded. "We've had similar feedback across the board, that no, it's like if you wrote this character that he/she would rather have pronouns instead of them/them," said Johnny Cash, game designer and senior advisory board member. LGBTQ+ on Blizzard. "Well, is that something we can change?" And of course we can. And so we made the change. The response to the post in player threads on the forums, Reddit, and the popular Warcraft site Wowhead was surprisingly civil, with common themes including discussion of whether and why the character would actually prefer him/her. a business big enough to publish it.
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The Almighty Barber: Character Creation Options Multiply
During an in-game change, Shadowlands players can also change their character's gender at any hair salon for gold. It used to be a paid service. This is one of several options that expand character creation and customization to better reflect the real world, including a variety of skin tones, eye shapes, tattoos, and jewelry before. unavailable. “It's one of those things that came out of discussions within the team itself. We thought about what we were building and we thought about it,” Danuser said. “I think it's natural to assume that business decisions are made somewhere in a tower, telegraphed to us, and we have to follow those guidelines. But really it's not so. The team has a lot to say on this topic. “We were looking at these options that were coming up, we were introducing characters like Pelagos and we were saying this could be your experience too. You can make some of these decisions and decide how you want to be seen in the world. "
"It's not a big part of the story, it's just something that they are"
There are other examples of LGBTQ+ friendly stories in Shadowlands, and this trend is likely to continue in Warcraft. "Ardenweald has a quest line where you're trying to figure out some of the aspects of Tirande's transformation when he took the power of Night Warrior, and what that power does to him, what it means, and what the potential cost is," Danuser said. “You know a couple, where one of them was a night warrior in a different world on the mortal plane. You find out they are a same-sex couple. It's not a big part of the story, it's just something that they are. In Shadows Rising, a passing scene shows the marriage of two women aided by a decision by the Zandalari troll queen, Talanji. The decision is economic; The existence of a same-sex marriage in the country is presumed. This isn't the first time LGBTQ+ characters have appeared in Warcraft. In Legion, Danuser wrote quests for a lovely story that included a same-sex couple, but these themes don't lurk in the shadows of Shadowlands. Several reasons explain this increased visibility. “One big thing that was really on the team's mind during development was this notion of choice and, extrapolating from that, the notion of self-expression,” Cash said. This manifests in the vast expansion of character customization and the theme of choice in the afterlife and afterlife, the developers said. It also seemed like the right time for a broader representation of people in Warcraft, given global events, the changing nature of society, and the increasing diversification of Blizzard's workforce. “We have a team that has a lot of different people with different perspectives and backgrounds, so it's important to us to tell stories that are close to our hearts, that reflect our concerns, and that also make Azeroth a place that is representative of many different points. view and very welcoming,” Danuser said. "Whatever your background, there is a place for you in this world." "We haven't seen a shortage of feedback from the community about even more cool things they'd like to see, and within the team it's the same story," Cash said. “It is a start for us. It's not right, we've done it and now we're done,” Danuser said. “We are always thinking about more missions, more stories, more art to create, and more systems to build. We will definitely think about it and look at other ways to allow for broader representation in the future. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm... World of Warcraft - PC/Mac World of Warcraft (WoW) for PC World of Warcraft: Battle...