‘The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset’ wins GLAAD Award for Outstanding Video Game

GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organisation, awarded their first ever Outstanding Video Game Award during the 30th GLAAD Media Awards to The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset.

The Outstanding Video Game Award recognises work that features “outstanding LGBTQ-inclusive content.”

Candidates for the award must have been published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018. The GLAAD Media Awards, now in their 30th year, recognise media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community, and the issues facing their lives.

As explained in a press release, the Outstanding Video Game category was introduced to the GLAAD Media Awards late last year, following the rise and influence of LGBTQ representation in games.

Other nominees included Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, and The Sims Mobile. 

The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset expansion was selected for one of its questlines “Manor of Masques,” where players were tasked in helping to reunite a transgender woman with her estranged twin sister.

The game was selected for how the questline dealt with the difficult topics of coming out and acceptance in a way that reflected the lived reality of many transgender people today.

“The video game landscape is ever-expanding, and it’s critical that all players see themselves represented fairly and accurately in the content,” said chief programs officer at GLAAD Zeke Stokes.

“LGBTQ people are an important and growing part of the gaming community, and we are so proud to honor an impressive slate of nominees in this first year.”