Much song and dance was made about Cyberpunk 2077’s character creator ahead of its 2020 release. It claimed to accurately represent transgender bodies in its dystopian future where the wonders of technology allowed one’s form to shift and change thanks to the endless powers of capitalism.
In reality, this fantasy boiled down to how big your penis was and whether you had a male or female-coded voice. Pronouns couldn’t be changed, sex scenes didn’t reflect your choice of genitalia, and it took two years for avatar customization to actually become available after you’d started a new game. For months, the experience was incredibly static.
CD Projekt Red’s behaviour outside the game didn’t help matters either, with social media posts from the company helping foster an anti-trans rhetoric which frequently batted against the progressive ideals it claimed the game upheld. I created a character in Cyberpunk 2077 which, on the surface, represented my own transgender body, but it never went nearly far enough. Now along comes Baldur’s Gate 3 with similarly explicit options and a far more fluid interpretation of gender across its uncompromising fantasy world. I cannot wait.
Marketing for Larian Studios’ epic RPG is now in full swing, and it feels like not a day passes without new information or a fresh gameplay video bursting onto my news feed. It’s invading my TikTok too, and I’m surprised how much a game that has been in early access for years now is still capturing the imagination of millions. I’m ready to explore its massive open world and meet its curated selection of companion characters, but more than anything, I’m eager to make my own. Much like our ongoing D&D campaign here at TheGamer, I wanted to put together an avatar who is able to grow and change with me in ways that right now I couldn’t possibly predict. That’s the joy of games like this, and Baldur’s Gate 3 fully understands it.
Kotaku recently provided an exclusive glimpse at Baldur’s Gate 3’s extensive character creator. There are 11 races to choose from, each fitted with their own unique appearances and quirks, and within them physical permutations that can’t be found anywhere else. Facial features, body types, genital options, and more are ripe for customisation with few limits.
That’s without exploring the potential of future mods fans are bound to implement. I’m still unsure what race I’m going to pick or what she is going to look like, but I’m already excited. Excited by both the sheer possibilities and how I can reasonably create a fictional character which represents me either in a realistic physical manner or an idealised version of myself only a fantasy world can realise. Each of these are valuable, and each of them are within my reach.
This is the beauty of Dungeons & Dragons. You can create a distinct imaginary hero with their own backstory, or simply play as yourself in ways video games have accommodated for decades. Genitals aren’t normally a malleable part of this equation, but that all changes with Baldur’s Gate 3 in a big way. Or small, because size doesn’t matter, it’s how you use it.
The character creator appears to have four options each for penises and vulvas which are not limited to gender or race. Such options may feel excessive to some, but when it comes to queer expression in a game that doesn’t shy away from the explicit circumstances of its sexual relationships, it couldn’t be more important. To create a character I will spend hours with and more than likely project myself onto in myriad intimate ways will enter sex scenes bearing physical characteristics I can relate to. I’m a trans woman, and while sadly I’m not packing devil horns (no matter what Ben Shapiro would have you believe), I do have a penis. For now, anyway, and to have that represented in Baldur’s Gate 3 without having the rug pulled from beneath me is so meaningful, even if I’ll be using it to fuck a bear every once in a while.
I can present as female in this world and not be subject to a dysphoric disconnect whenever a sex scene takes place, to be told I have a vagina when in reality I don’t. Likewise, trans men can embrace masculinity without abandoning the make-up of their bodies in the real world. Not every trans person in the world associates dysphoria with their genitals, instead happy to embrace the sexual qualities society saddles them with.
My perspective lands firmly in the middle, and I hope Larian lets me approach it with feelings of confidence and comfort. D&D is often seen as a safe space by queer communities, and a video game adaptation of the
tabletop experience should prove no different. D&D has also traditionally been a place for questioning players to explore gender, or for allies to create characters that represent a more accepting world, and this is a cornerstone of that worldbuilding.
Some players could be set to enter Baldur’s Gate 3 aiming to pursue an idealised version of themselves, projecting goals of future hormone therapy and surgeries onto a virtual avatar who chases a dream that right now appears unobtainable. I’m excited to give my character a penis before pursuing a second playthrough after my bottom surgery next year. To see this undertaking in reality reflected in the virtual world will be a huge achievement for me, and one Baldur’s Gate 3 is willing to entertain without compromise.
Queer players are going to have a ball embracing their true identities in Baldur’s Gate 3, and perhaps its character creator will even inspire those still discovering who they are, a secured place to experiment without judgement. We once had to project our transgender ideals onto the characters we created in video games, but now the medium is not only catching up, but actively encouraging the creation of queer characters and stories. Even in the limited years since the release of Cyberpunk 2077, it feels like we’ve come a long way. Now let’s keep on moving.