Marek Tymiński of CI Games, the developer of The Lords of the Fallen, recently stirred up debate in the gaming community with a poll addressing gender selection in a medieval fantasy RPG and a promise to abide by the result for future projects.
In a medieval fantasy action-RPG experience, what do you prefer to choose between? We will follow the final result.
— Marek Tyminski (@tyminski_marek) January 12, 2025
The poll posed the following question to gamers:
“In a medieval fantasy action-RPG experience, what do you prefer to choose between? We will follow the final result.”
The options were:
- Body Type A/Body Type B
- Male or Female
- None of the above
Body Type A/B is seen as the “gender politics” option. It allows players to select a traditionally masculine or feminine body type without assigning gender to it. This option is typically paired with mandatory pronoun selection. Lords of the Fallen infamously used this gender model previously.
A poll from Marek Tyminski of CI Games on Gender selection in medieval RPGs – X, @tyminski_marek
The results, with 46,791 participants voting, were stark and undeniable:
- Body Type A/Body Type B: 8.7%
- Male or Female: 88%
- None of the above: 3.4%
That means roughly 41,176 people selected Male or Female, 4070 people selected Body Type A/B, and 1,590 people selected none of the above.
This overwhelming rejection of “Body Type A/B” sends a very clear message to the game development community. It demonstrates a strong player preference for traditional male or female character selection. It also aligns with the backlash seen recently with other games attempting to implement politically charged features.
A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare
Perhaps the most prominent example of player rejection of such features is BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Launched to critical fanfare from virtue signaling outlets, the game suffered major commercial disappointment.
It placed a heavy emphasis on progressive gender ideology. This included mixing male and female voices with varying body types, selecting pronouns, and even adding top surgery scars—controversial inclusions for a medieval fantasy setting.
Veilguard performed poorly overall, with both sales figures and player retention painting a bleak picture.
A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare
1.Sales Performance: According to reports, Dragon Age: The Veilguard sold only 1.5 million units, which was far below EA’s lofty expectations of 10 million copies. Needless to say, Veilguard fell well short of expectations for BioWare and EA.
2.Refund Rates: Within the first two weeks of release, The Veilguard faced an alarming number of refunds. Reliable sources indicate that over 30,000 refunds were issued shortly after the game’s launch. This represents a significant portion of initial sales, suggesting widespread dissatisfaction with the product.
3.Trade-In Value: The physical copies of the game rapidly lost value. GameStop and other retailers listed the trade-in value at a paltry $22 within days of release—an unusually low figure for a newly released AAA title. This drop-off in value reflects both low demand and the game’s failure to resonate with players.
A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare
The player response to Tymiński’s poll mirrors the commercial outcomes of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Players appear to be pushing back against games that prioritize modern political messaging over immersive storytelling and gameplay. Simple put, players don’t want gender politics in a medieval RPG.
As CI Games considers its direction for future titles, the results of this poll and the missteps of The Veilguard offer a clear message: respect the audience’s expectations and preferences. Developers should focus on delivering engaging worlds and compelling narratives without alienating their player base through heavy-handed political inclusions.
Do the results of this poll on gender selection in an RPG surprise you? Will the gaming industry learn any lessons from the fans’ vocal demands? Sound off in the comment section and let us know!
