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Mass Effect: Andromeda patch reveals Jaal is bisexual

Jaal

Bioware just released a new patch for Mass Effect: Andromeda to make the new galaxy a little more gay. Players had previously pointed out how gay male Ryders didn’t have nearly as many options as other sexual orientations. With Jaal now being open to male and female partners, all is well in the universe. 

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Before this patch, Scott Ryder had no male romance options among squadmates. Jaal’s race is gender-fluid, so it makes sense for his character. Here’s what Bioware had to say:

“We understand that a character’s orientation is an important part of what makes them feel real. The relationships with your crew are some of the most loved and cherished parts of our games, so we wanted to make sure we got it right. We consulted with members of the LGBTQ community, both externally and within our own studios. After carefully considering all feedback, we decided this was an important change to make, and one that made sense for Jaal, Scott, and the angara.”

Bioware say there’s been new work from the writers, editors, and animators to make the change be as memorable as possible.

Elsewhere, Hainly Abrams – an openly trans character you meet in a sidequest – has been reworked so she doesn’t deadname herself as soon as you meet her, making your relationship with her more natural.

One other big change is to character customisation, with new heads added, as well as more skin tones. All hairstyles are available for men and women now, too, and there’s a new bald style for you beans out there. You can also change your appearance mid-game from on board the Tempest now.

Here are the patch notes:

Single-player

  • Ryder’s appearance can now be changed onboard the Tempest
  • Expanded the range of options available in the character creator
  • Jaal can now be romanced by Scott Ryder
  • Dialogue for Hainly Abrams was adjusted to change the flow of personal information she discusses with Ryder.
  • Fixed issue with Nomad upgrades Shield Crafting quest
  • Nexus level and cryo pod points are retroactively granted
  • Vendors now carry weapon mods for Level 60-71 players
  • Vendors now sell weapon augmentations for automatic fire, burst fire, and single-shot fire
  • Improved clarity of descriptions for augmentations
  • Plasma Charge system now works properly for shotguns
  • Beam Emitter augmentation now causes guns to fire a constant beam with scaling damage based on the weapon’s damage per second
  • Added experimental support for Dolby Vision technology

Multiplayer

  • Stealth Grid challenge now increments properly
  • Fiend no longer sprints when within 10 meters of target, and will decelerate to base speed
  • Enabled movement correction during Fiend attacks to reduce incidence of players seeing Fiends attacking in the wrong direction
  • Improved movement prediction for some enemies in tight spaces to reduce appearance of teleportation
  • Fixed issue that prevented melee attacks if the revive icon was near centre screen
  • Fixed issue where ammo pick-up audio incorrectly played
  • Fixed issue where Backlash could malfunction while moving
  • Using Stealth and Recon Visor together no longer increases duration of invisibility for Turian Agent
  • Fixed issue where weight reduction modifications wouldn’t reduce weight
  • The Revive Pack Transmitter now displays the revive radius in the loadout screen
  • Equipping the Cobra RPG now interrupts reloading
  • Player turns to Adhi when getting synced to avoid teleportation issue
  • Fixed issue where enemies would occasionally enter T-pose when hit
  • Improved visual and audio cues for player ready status in Multiplayer lobbies
  • Added “Lights” option to customisation options