Xbox and GLAAD Bring More LGBTQIA+ Representation to Gaming
Xbox Game Studios has announced a long-term partnership with GLAAD to support its LGBTQIA+ team, partner studios, and developers, and to bring more authentic…
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Xbox Game Studios has announced a long-term partnership with GLAAD to support the LGBTQIA+ community within the company, including both its partner studios and game developers. The partnership aims to build a more inclusive community for the LGBTQIA+ team at Xbox. Through this collaboration, we hope to bring LGBTQIA+ people, their individual stories, and their experiences of gender diversity to gamers around the world through Xbox, in ways that resonate and are easy to connect with.
We recognize the need and the demand for more stories about gender diversity
Even as many places have grown more hostile toward transgender, nonbinary, and wider LGBTQIA+ communities, the latest data from the Trevor Project shows that nearly two out of three LGBTQIA+ young people say recent debates over anti-LGBTQ+ laws have negatively affected their mental health. At the same time, hateful and discriminatory rhetoric grows more intense every year, taking a toll on their mental health. What we are doing is one more way to support people in reaching these spaces, including online spaces, and it is one of the best ways we can offer that support.
We believe that, as game makers, we have a unique opportunity to offer spaces where LGBTQIA+ youth and communities can feel accepted
According to a study by Dentsu, 65% of Gen Z gamers and 60% of millennial gamers feel more comfortable expressing themselves in games than in real life. Through games, we not only have the ability to tell diverse and representative stories, but we can also provide spaces where players can experience and explore their own identities in an environment that sees and supports them.
With this in mind, our LGBTQIA+ team members and their allies at XGS Publishing have engaged GLAAD, with the central goal of helping our partner studios create games that provide the visibility, understanding, and support that LGBTQIA+ people need for years to come. We will work with GLAAD and expand available resources through workshops and consulting to bring authentic, heartfelt, and inspiring LGBTQIA+ representation to our future games.
Examples of games curated by the LGBTQIA+ community at Microsoft
Immersive game narratives offer unique perspectives that reach beyond our own lived experiences. With voices from LGBTQIA+ creators, these games give players the chance to play as LGBTQIA+ characters and to engage with LGBTQIA+ stories and gender diversity. Xbox invites you to play with pride, or as they call it, Play with Pride!
These games featuring gender diversity are all available to download on computers, mobile devices, and Xbox consoles.
Garden Story
Created by a non-binary Filipino American developer, Garden Story is a laid-back game in which you collect various points to rebuild your home in a world full of plants and produce. It features a simple but fun action combat system, letting players use normal attacks, special attacks, and items to defeat enemies. The game also includes exploration and puzzle elements: players can explore the game world to gather resources, find treasures, and solve hidden puzzles.
The game uses specific pronouns such as they/them. It is about being part of a community and growing stronger together, even in difficult times, the more friends you make, the stronger you become. Garden Story has been well received by critics, earning praise for its beautiful graphics, lovely soundtrack, and heartwarming story. It has also been recognized for its simplicity and accessibility, making it suitable for players of all genders and ages.
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan
This is an action-puzzle adventure platformer developed by Mana Void Entertainment and published by Skybound Games. It was released on October 5, 2021, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. It is a puzzle-solving adventure that children can play, and the main character, Billy, identifies as non-binary. The story follows Billy out to explore the wider world, a world that has lost its color, and throughout the journey you work to restore color to it.
The game features a non-violent combat system focused on problem-solving and communication. Players can gather various creatures as allies and help them in encounters. It also includes exploration and puzzle elements: players can explore the game's vast world to find treasures, collect items, and solve hidden puzzles. Billy befriends several characters who talk about same-sex couples. The game seeks to teach acceptance and to promote patience, respect, love, and kindness toward one another through a "battle system" built on more empathetic communication.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
There are many characters to choose from who reflect LGBTQIA+ gender diversity in this tactical, team-based shooter. Among them is Flores, a gay operator and master thief from Argentina. For the game's first transgender woman, Ubisoft consulted with the transgender community and cast a transgender woman to voice Operator Osa, a highly skilled inventor and the head of research and development at Nighthaven.
The following are some of the features of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege:
- A tactical shooter that emphasizes planning and teamwork
- Counter-terrorism operators from around the world, each with unique skills and abilities
- Multiple game modes, including 5v5 team-based multiplayer, survival mode, training mode, and competitive mode
- Intense graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay
- Continuous post-launch support from Ubisoft
If you are looking for a challenging and engaging tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege is a good choice. It may not suit players seeking a fast-paced, easy shooter: the game has a steep learning curve and can take a long time to build the skills needed to succeed.
Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers
A Fiction Factory game that aims to offer an experience that stays with you, and this sequel certainly does not disappoint. Led by writer and director Stefan Gagne, who is non-binary, you can choose your pronouns, customize your look, and pursue a romantic relationship with anyone (or no one at all). Through its portrayal of culture, mental health, and gender identity, and with many different endings and love routes, players have plenty of stories to discover, including options to be romantic, asexual, or polyamorous.
Read other articles related to gender diversity
- Restrictions on restroom rights for transgender people
- More than just rugby: Ian Roberts and his LGBTQ+ role
Gender diversity is being woven into the world of gaming. That world is evolving and growing to embrace gender diversity in creative and compelling ways. It is important that we all support this, so that every player can have a rich, diverse experience and come to understand gender differences in games in a meaningful and enjoyable way. Going forward, we will keep playing with pride, or truly, Play with Pride!
Verified references
Links and relevance to the article’s main topic were reviewed on 13 August 2026. Each source supports only the scope stated in the original document and does not replace personalised medical, legal, or service advice.
- GLAAD: 2024 Gaming Report Accessed 13 August 2026
- OHCHR: LGBT rights fact sheet Accessed 13 August 2026
