‘Disclosure belongs to the individual’

Image: BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

Even going beyond the very expansive character creator, Dragon Age: The Veilguard includes a whole range of ways to role-play a gender-diverse character, especially when it comes to dialogue choices. It’s a seamless integration that adds a layer of robustness to the role-playing experience, and one that the developers really wanted to add.

“We know how much it means to players that want to choose these options to feel seen and have that experience actually celebrate and reflect that joy they feel in their own authenticity,” game director Corinne Busche explained to Polygon.

While this is the first time you could make and role-play an explicitly trans character in a Dragon Age game, it’s not the first time a trans character has appeared in the franchise. Dragon Age: Inquisition had Krem, a mercenary in the Iron Bull’s company who was also a trans man. It was pretty revolutionary at the time, though looking back there were some dialogue options relating to Krem’s gender that could’ve been handled differently (there’s an option to ask him if he’s a woman, for instance).

But in the 10 years since Inquisition, the conversation about gender identity and the representation of trans and nonbinary individuals in media has changed.

“The topic is complex, the language is complex, and it’s constantly evolving,” said Busche. “The way we think about and describe gender identity as a society has evolved since previous iterations of Dragon Age. I’m very proud of what Inquisition had done with Krem, and yet today we might approach some elements of that a little differently. Especially as we think about the ideas of disclosure, how that belongs to the individual, those deep moments of introspection where you really get to examine: Who am I? What does this mean to me? What role does it play in my life?”

Image: BioWare/Electronic Arts via Polygon

One of the early moments of The Veilguard involves Rook, the player character, in their private room, unpacking some personal items and reflecting on various aspects of themselves, like their class and faction. This also includes an opportunity for Rook, by way of an inner monologue, to comment on and establish their gender identity. It’s a small interaction, but one that nicely colors in the character. But the game goes beyond that. Rook can also choose to discuss their gender with other characters, in scenes that range from offering advice to a companion figuring out their own identity to bringing it up to a potential romantic partner.

“My favorite moments on the topic are not just the moment of introspection and being able to say to yourself that you’re trans or nonbinary,” Busche elaborated. “It’s actually those disclosure moments that happen later on where you meet another character that you feel comfortable disclosing to, or you start developing a relationship with one of your companions and you want to disclose.”

Ultimately, what the developers really wanted was to make the experience personalized. Some players might want to play a trans or nonbinary Rook and not engage with the dialogue; others might want to openly discuss their gender identity with other characters. The important thing is that there is a choice for that in this game.

“Disclosure belongs to the individual,” said Busche. “So you might decide your character, your Rook, is trans, and you don’t disclose. That belongs to you. And if you do, those moments are so relatable and feel so personal. I actually really love what it unlocks for us in terms of the depth of storytelling. I’ll say I’ve cried more than once.”a