Collectively We Thrive: Celebrating the Pleasure of the LGBTQIA+ Group in Gaming

Video games generally is a highly effective medium to specific and discover one’s id in a inventive and protected setting. Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind permits gamers to romance and marry characters no matter their gender. Overwatch options overtly LGBTQIA+ characters, akin to Tracer, who’s heroic, robust, and prominently featured within the sport. Inform Me Why tells the story of Tyler, a transgender man, with sensitivity and depth. Video games generally is a highly effective technique to discover identities throughout the security of inventive play whereas enabling all gamers to expertise new views that could be totally different from their very own.

This Pleasure month, we invite you to hitch us on this journey of studying, rising, and thriving. Gaming is for everybody, and collectively, we are able to work in direction of making a gaming group that’s welcoming to everybody and is inclusive of individuals with a variety of views, experiences, and backgrounds. That significant work is achieved by way of individuals impacting others by way of training, appreciating the lived experiences of others and constructing empathy with members of the LGBTQIA+ group.

We consider it’s essential to assist organizations that uplift, empower, and tackle the wants of the LGBTQIA+ group. Within the final 30 years, along with our staff, Microsoft has donated over $16M to organizations that assist the LGBTQIA+ group, and within the final 12 months alone, we donated over $1.3M. This 12 months Xbox, together with Microsoft, is thrilled to proceed these efforts with a $200K contribution to a number of organizations supporting the LGBQTIA+ group to assist encourage conversations, rally group actions, and empower individuals to share their Pleasure.   

Moreover, Xbox Sport Studios Publishing is proud to proceed partnering with GLAAD to supply extra inclusive video games from conception to design to growth. Xbox is partnering with The Trevor Undertaking to assist join LGBTQIA+ gamers with helpful assets that assist assist well-being and security as they play throughout the Xbox group. Each participant has a singular story, and we stay up for future tasks the place individuals throughout the rainbow spectrum could expertise the identical empowerment. Learn on to be taught extra about how we’re celebrating the LGBTQIA+ group this month and past:

Spotlighting Xbox’s partnership with The Trevor Undertaking

Gaming has lengthy been a supply of enjoyable, group, and self-expression for the LGBTQIA+ group. In keeping with GLAAD, LGBTQIA+ avid gamers are 24% extra seemingly to make use of gaming as a assist to assist get them by way of powerful instances – with 66% of LGBTQIA+ gamers sharing that gaming permits them to specific themselves in a manner they don’t really feel comfy doing in the true world.

This impression shouldn’t be misplaced on us. At Xbox, we’re dedicated to creating gaming experiences which are welcoming for all gamers, and that features offering a protected and inclusive area the place everybody will be their genuine selves.

That’s why we’re proud to highlight Xbox’s standing partnership with The Trevor Undertaking, a U.S. nonprofit that gives lifesaving and life-affirming providers to LGBTQIA+ younger individuals. Since 2019, Xbox and its security groups have been partnering with The Trevor Undertaking to attach gamers with assets to assist their well-being and guarantee they really feel protected and welcome after they play on Xbox.

For us, it’s essential gamers really feel protected. Our ongoing partnership with The Trevor Undertaking is a technique for us to try this. Extra data on how Xbox helps participant’s well-being will be discovered right here.

Within the spirit of Pleasure, we wish to share the next security ideas to assist gamers get probably the most out of their gaming expertise:

Discover your consumer settings. Xbox gives settings that enable gamers alternative in how they play. Gamers can choose whether or not to make their associates listing seen, select to obtain messages from individuals who aren’t associates, or block content material they don’t want to view.

Take consolation in realizing Xbox has your again. To assist the broader player-base and LGBTQIA+ group, we take participant security severely. This consists of:

In-game reporting instruments to assist gamers flag problems with inappropriate conduct or content material. Xbox invests in 24/7 protection globally to assist reply to and examine studies.

Moderation instruments that work throughout textual content, photos video and voice, to dam dangerous content material earlier than it reaches gamers.

Entry to automated textual content filters, which empowers gamers to customise their gaming expertise and determine what content material shouldn’t be okay to obtain – these filters robotically block content material earlier than it reaches the participant.

Persevering with to create proactive measures to dam hate speech and spend money on applied sciences to assist average probably poisonous communications, whereas permitting particular person expression.

Gaming and Impression with Rewards with Xbox

Rewards members in america can earn and donate factors to organizations supporting LGBTQIA+ communities with Xbox. The organizations under can be out there on the Rewards hub:

GLAAD: Based in 1985, GLAAD – the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy group – works with tv, movie, video video games, Spanish-language media, journalists, and social media to inform tales and seek the advice of on LGBTQ media illustration. GLAAD tackles powerful points and provokes dialogue that results in cultural change by way of elevated media accountability, public campaigns, company engagement initiatives, and advocacy packages that assist to make sure 100% inclusion and acceptance of the LGBTQ group. (US)

Outright Worldwide: Outright Worldwide is devoted to working with companions across the globe to strengthen the capability of the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) human rights motion, doc and amplify human rights violations in opposition to LGBTIQ individuals, and advocate for inclusion and equality. (US)

Nationwide Middle for Transgender Equality: The Nationwide Middle for Transgender Equality (NCTE) advocates to vary insurance policies and society to extend understanding and acceptance of transgender and non-binary individuals. Within the nation’s capital and all through the nation, NCTE works to switch disrespect, discrimination, and violence with empathy, alternative, and justice. (US)

Xbox gamers can earn Rewards factors in varied methods, akin to enjoying video games, finishing Sport Cross Quests, and buying video games and different eligible gadgets on the Microsoft Retailer (exclusions apply). Begin incomes right now and redeem your factors for excellent rewards. Donate your factors on the Rewards hub or on the Rewards redeem web page.

Inform Me Why Obtainable for Free in June on Xbox Consoles, Microsoft Retailer, and Steam!

Inform Me Why, the award-winning narrative journey from Don’t Nod Leisure and Xbox Sport Studios Publishing, can be out there without spending a dime on Xbox consoles, Home windows PC, and Steam for the whole month of June 2024. As in previous years, the Inform Me Why workforce encourages gamers to provide what they might have spent on Inform Me Why to an impartial trans creator or a trans-inclusive charity of their group.

Discover Video games Curated by LGBTQIA+ Communities at Microsoft

Xbox invitations you to play with pleasure.

Throughout June and past, take a look at a wide range of sport collections that showcase LGBTQIA+ creators, lead characters, and video games with inclusive gender and relationship choices. Obtainable on the Microsoft Shops on Xbox and Home windows, take a look at the transgender and non-binary group video games assortment and the LGBTQIA+ group video games assortment. These collections will exist year-round as a part of our ongoing work to create extra inclusive gaming ecosystems and elevate content material that resonates with communities. For Xbox Sport Cross members, discover what video games can be found to play within the Xbox Sport Cross assortment and the PC Sport Cross assortment.

Featured titles throughout the collections embrace:

Want for Velocity Unbound (Obtainable with Xbox Sport Cross Final on Console, PC, and Cloud) – Want for Velocity Unbound’s character creator permits for a number of gender expressions through clothes, hair, and voice choices that aren’t restricted to the gender binary. The sport additionally options racing rival, Justicia, a trans lady voiced by trans actress, Sena Bryer, along with together with LGBTQIA+ iconography within the streets and as decals in your automobiles.

Starfield (Obtainable with Xbox Sport Cross on Console, PC, and Cloud) – On this role-playing sport set amongst the celebs, create any character you need and discover with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey. Starfield boasts a powerful character creation instrument with a number of physique varieties, pores and skin tones, hairstyles, non-gendered options, and so they/them pronoun choices. Exploration choices embrace pursuing romantic relationships no matter gender.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Obtainable on Console) – Play as star and stagehand as you identify the story by way of dialog and track on this online game for musical lovers. Written by the enduring and overtly homosexual narrative designer, David Gaider, you’ll craft not solely a singular narrative, however a soundtrack to your personal musical expertise based mostly in your selections. Forge your personal story and determine who to romance.

The Quarry (Obtainable with Xbox Sport Cross on Console and Cloud) – Play solo or in a gaggle of associates as any of 9 camp counselors on this thrilling cinematic expertise that leads down a tangled net of prospects based mostly in your selections. Take pleasure in an evening of enjoyable earlier than a celebration rapidly turns into an unpredictable night time of horror and your relationships are examined by unimaginable life-or-death choices.

This Mattress We Made (Obtainable on Console) –   Chloe Lussier, CEO and co-founder of Lowbirth Video games, needs to inform impactful tales that characteristic unconventional heroes. Set within the Nineteen Fifties, the story that unfolds in This Mattress We Made is tied to actual historical past when being a member of the LGBTQIA+ group was criminalized. Step into the function of Sophie, an indiscreet chambermaid at a resort stuffed with secrets and techniques, on this third-person thriller narrative sport that explores the lengths individuals have needed to go to pursue loving relationships as their genuine self.

Have a good time Pleasure in Forza Horizon 5

This 12 months’s Pleasure-themed Xbox artwork can be added to Forza Horizon 5 as a vinyl: an in-game decal that you need to use to customise any automotive. Exhibit this distinctive design in your automotive utilizing #ForzaRainbow on social media for an opportunity to be featured! (The vinyl can be out there beginning June 7 from the Forza Horizon accounts on Instagram and X.)

Overwatch 2 Celebrates Pleasure with In-Sport Map and Calling All Heroes

Overwatch 2 celebrates Pleasure this month with the return of a fan-favorite map and Calling All Heroes. All month lengthy, the Pleasure competition returns to Overwatch 2’s Midtown map. Gamers can stay up for enjoying on this map as they queue for Unranked and Aggressive video games and instantly in a devoted play card on the Arcade. Calling All Heroes is Overwatch 2’s aggressive Esports collection that gives an inclusive setting to aspiring rivals of marginalized genders, together with those that current themselves as Trans, Non-Binary, and Genderqueer. This competitors returned final weekend, and everybody who tunes in at twitch.television/ow_esports will have the ability to earn new drops like the brand new Monarch Enterprise pores and skin.

Xbox Gear Store

Present your love and assist for Pleasure 2024 with our new limited-edition t-shirts, hoodies and extra – designed by and with the LGBTQIA+ communities. Get your Pleasure gear now!

Have a good time Pleasure with the brand new 2024 Pleasure Assortment completely on the Blizzard Gear Retailer! Led by way of the Blizzard LGBT+ Worker Community, the Blizzard Pleasure Assortment options Pleasure-themed attire benefitting The Trevor Undertaking from Could 15 by way of June 30, 2024.

Discover Xbox’s Kingdom of Colour

In celebration of Pleasure, the Xbox emblem was reimagined as a crystal radiating with energy on the high of a magic employees. The storybook-inspired picture additionally features a fortress with festive rainbow banners and fireworks. The artist, who’s a part of the LGBTQIA+ group, imagines the Kingdom of Colour as a spot the place individuals who establish as LGBTQIA+ rule and the magic of Pleasure is unfold to each nook of the realm. Proper from the pages of a leather-bound guide stuffed with colourful artwork and calligraphy textual content, this picture evokes not solely acquainted tales of dragons, knights, and wizards, however launches these tales right into a extra inclusive future by which all gamers discover their magic.

Xbox Ambassadors Have a good time Pleasure 2024

The Xbox Ambassadors Program is celebrating Pleasure by spotlighting members of the Xbox Ambassadors group who responded to a current survey about their experiences as avid gamers. Learn the Xbox Ambassadors weblog to listen to group members sharing their favourite reminiscences enjoying video video games, recommending video games that do job representing LGBTQIA+ individuals and experiences, and providing recommendations on the way to keep protected when gaming on-line.

Pleasure Dynamic Background and Wallpaper Obtainable Now

The Pleasure Month Xbox design is offered right now as an Xbox wallpaper and dynamic background on console – comply with these steps to use the dynamic background:

Press the Xbox button in your controller to open the information.

Choose Profile & system > Settings > Normal > Personalization > My background > Dynamic backgrounds.

You’ll be able to select between Video games, Xbox, or Summary dynamic backgrounds. Select the background artwork that you really want with the A button.

Radical Pleasure with Microsoft

Within the face of adversity, existence itself will be resistance and spark change. This Pleasure, LGBTQIA+ individuals at Microsoft share the that means of pleasure and invite everybody to unfold acceptance, abundance, and concord in every single place. Be a part of us and uncover extra at Microsoft.com/pleasure.