LGBTQ players can be loud and proud when throwing down in Gears 5’s multiplayer, thanks to a number of pride flags from across the spectrum that will be available for use.
Twitter user akkii! (via PCGamer – cheers!) made note of the inclusive banners, their tweet sparking a wave of celebration of Gears 5’s representation. Users were elated that their particular colours were among the selectable options – and even Sea of Thieves fans are getting a nod. The iconic pride rainbow can be selected, among a variety of others celebrating bi, trans, asexual, gender non-binary, polysexual, and more identities and orientations. There are 19 such flags in total.
The banners do need to be unlocked through the game’s crafting system. Crafting points are earned by playing, and even though there are so many, unlocking them won’t take long. Your chosen banner is then flown behind your character after a multiplayer match finishes if you’ve achieved something notable, like topping the scoreboard.
This is a modest yet lovely gesture from developer The Coalition and publisher Microsoft. Gaming isn’t always a welcoming place for people of different sexualities and genders, and these banners are a way of welcoming those players and validating their identities.
HEY GEARS HAS FUCKING PRIDE FLAGS IN GAME WHAT pic.twitter.com/vRhDSm3Xzy
— akii! (@ashiinu) September 5, 2019
It’s especially nice to see from a series that’s often been thought of as purely hyper-masculine, too.
You can fly your flag in Gears 5 when it formally launches on September 6.