
Mass Effect: Andromeda's Transgender Character Backfires on Social Media
An attempt was made.
BioWare is known for being more progressive than most with their games. When introducing Mass Effect: Andromeda's main character, for instance, they made a point of showcasing the female version first. But one attempt to be inclusive in Mass Effect Andromeda has sparked a bit of a backlash among the very community they're trying to promote.
When talking to NPCs in Andromeda, one of your choices is to ask them what prompted them to spend 600 years traveling to another galaxy. On Eos, a character named Hainly Abrams explains her motivations.

Yep. In her quest to start a new life, Hainly immediately outs herself, and uses her former name to boot. It didn't take long for the image to begin making the rounds in the transgender community.
This is literally the worst possible way you could write a trans character. NOBODY DEADNAMES THEMSELVES https://t.co/0QfW9TAoIe
— ?? Athene ?? (@AtheneAllen) March 20, 2017
One thing: just about 0.000000000000001% of trans people will just tell you their deadname on first meeting, what the FUCK is this
— Lone (@lonelytiefling) March 20, 2017
As plenty of people have pointed out, being transgender tends to be an extremely sensitive topic, so it's jarring to see a character just blurt it out in random conversation. Who knows, maybe things are different in the far future. Maybe transgender people are accepted to the point that they feel comfortable being out. But her casually volunteering her former name, a piece of information that is often jealously guarded by transgender people, is being called out as a major gaffe.
From that, it seems that an attempt at a minor bit of inclusion has backfired owing to a lack of attention to detail. I reached out to BioWare to see if they have any comment, and I will update if they respond.
Sadly, I wasn't too keen on the rest of the game either, ultimately awarding a three out of five in my review. Mass Effect: Andromeda is available now.
In other news
Cyberpunk 2077 Has Been Removed From the PlayStation Store Following a "Discussion" With Sony [Update]
Sony is offering full refunds for those who want one.
Dicey Dungeons Had a Surprise Launch on Switch Last Night
Turns out Nintendo had another card up its sleeve. A card with, uh… with dice on it.
How Familiars.io's Creator Fit Multiplayer Monster-Taming Into a Single Tweet
Bless Twitter's Javascript embeds for letting this Pokemon-like flourish.
CD Projekt Red Is "Not Encouraging" Cyberpunk 2077 Returns, Joint-CEO Tells Investors
"We hope they'll give us a chance to improve the game on the original consoles," says Marcin Iwi?ski.
Need help?
Witcher 3: How to Start the Blood and Wine DLC and Meet Its Level Requirements
We explain how to get to Toussaint and what level you should be when you do.
Witcher 3: All the Correct Play Lines in "The Play's the Thing" Quest
We explain how to perform the Doppler's play with Priscilla, as well as whether to choose tragedy or comedy.
Pokemon Sword and Shield Mystery Gift Codes List (January 2020)
You can get free gifts in Pokemon Sword and Shield by entering certain Mystery Gift Codes. Here’s a full list of all the active codes available right now.
The Outer Worlds Shrink Ray - How to Get the Unique Shrink Ray Science Weapon
This is where you can get the Shrink Ray science weapon in The Outer Worlds, one of the unique weapons in the game.