The multi-billion dollar video game industry is as dynamic as ever and as diverse as ever. Many brands and games now offer LGBT characters and avatars and despite controversies like “Gamer Gate” there’s never been a better time to be alive for gay gamers (gaymers). So it was a bit of shock to see a new study that says when offered a choice video game players seem to be avoiding choosing LGBT characters.

Scientific American:

In May 2019, an Overwatch writer updated the background story for one male character, Soldier: 76. He wrote that Soldier: 76 had been in a romantic relationship with another man and identified as gay. It was a bit of information that is far from unusual in the real world, but in online gaming, it was somewhat revolutionary.

Our research team wanted to know if this announcement influenced the game itself. Would players change their attitude toward Soldier: 76? We examined the pick rate—the frequency with which players choose a specific character—before, during and after the announcement. Surprisingly, we found an extreme drop in the pick rate for Soldier: 76 after the news. Players shied away from playing with the newly outed character.

Interestingly, instead of choosing Soldier: 76, several players chose the only other LGBTQ character in the game: a lesbian called Tracer. Though Soldier: 76 had previously been assumed by most to be straight, Tracer had been openly gay since the game was published.

To understand what was going on, we used an online survey to ask players what they thought about the announcement and how it influenced their gaming experience. Hundreds of players responded. Most respondents were men (83.77 percent) and from North America (49.4 percent) and Europe (39.5 percent). The majority had heard about Soldier: 76 being gay but didn’t care. They reported that changing a character’s sexuality had no influence on the game. A large minority, however, felt uncomfortable and that other players discriminated against them when they played as Soldier: 76 after the announcement. They got tired of homophobic slurs and constant harassment and temporarily switched to other characters to avoid it.

Additionally, many players mentioned that the gaming community makes an important distinction between the only two LGBTQ characters in the game. Whereas Soldier: 76 is a man, Tracer is a woman. Some players reported in the survey that they felt other players see lesbians as appealing and interesting, but that the same players voice disgust toward gay men.

Detecting discrimination is important and sheds light on a problem. The next step, however, is to find a way to decrease discrimination. In another research project, my team worked with a soccer federation trying to decrease discrimination. In a randomized trial, we found that an e-mail to coaches about how the sport can promote inclusivity and reduce racism helped raise awareness. We hope to do the same in e-sports by working together with people from within the industry who want to improve the equity and inclusivity of the community.

Some people like to imagine that video games offer idealized versions of reality and teach values that seem to be lacking in the real world, such as fighting for a common cause or working together as a team. But our findings show that the world of video games has the same biases and discrimination we find in our everyday lives, and that games can be much more welcoming for some than others. Video games are always innovating, pushing art and technology forward to create new experiences for players. In the past, players and fans have adapted to this fast-changing environment. The online gaming community needs to embrace its diverse players and reckon with its biases. Players should get over themselves and accept all characters and the players who pick them.