Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, from the Melbourne-based Summerfall Studios, has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, in recognition of its representation for LGBTQIA+ characters. Each year, the GLAAD Media Awards celebrate creators who have “shown exemplary achievements for fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect [their] lives,” with the awards ceremony highlighting the importance of inclusivity.
A range of video games have been nominated for this year’s show, with titles from a range of AAA and independent developers given a spotlight. Stray Gods has been recognised alongside titles like Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, which features a prominent gay relationship, Goodbye Volcano High, Tchia, Thirsty Suitors, Overwatch 2, and Too Hot to Handle 2.
In its assessment, the GLAAD team noted Stray Gods was a welcome celebration of queerness, with great representation for trans and queer characters included alongside catchy musical numbers, and deep storytelling. In a difficult year for the games industry, GLAAD noted that Stray Gods and its fellow nominees were significant highlights.
“The video game industry saw highs and lows in 2023, which makes celebrating the many outstanding releases with LGBTQ characters that much more important,” Blair Durkee, Associate Director of Gaming, and Annabelle Cook, Gaming Jr. Associate, wrote in the awards announcement post.
Read: Stray Gods Review – Bittersweet Symphony
“This year’s Outstanding Video Game nominees for the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards reflect the care and commitment of video game developers to tell moving stories that increase LGBTQ awareness and acceptance – and allow LGBTQ players to see themselves in the games they play.”
“Behind every exciting game nominated is a talented team of creators, and these nominations are also recognitions of employees, current and former, who helped create these games that have touched the hearts and lives of millions of LGBTQ players around the world.”
Here’s the full list of nominees for Outstanding Video Game at the 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards:
- Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios
- Goodbye Volcano High, KO_OP
- Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, Guerrilla Games
- Little Goody Two Shoes, AstralShift
- Overwatch 2, Blizzard Entertainment
- Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical, Summerfall Studios
- Tchia, Awaceb
- Thirsty Suitors, Outerloop Games
- This Bed We Made, Lowbirth Games
- Too Hot To Handle 2, Nanobit
The 35th Annual GLAAD Media Awards will take place on 14 March 2024 in Los Angeles, United States.
