Just before Nintendo launched its highly anticipated Switch 2 console, one of its quiet but significant changes has sparked renewed debate among players: the removal of gender from Mii avatar creation.
Nintendo removed genders from Miis on Switch 2 pic.twitter.com/qpckKIxR13
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) June 4, 2025
Several outlets confirmed this week that the Switch 2 will introduce a modified Mii setup that removes the traditional “male” and “female” gender selection options in favor of two “styles.” These styles, which are not labeled with gendered language, allow for visual customization without defining characters as male or female. The classic Mii avatar designs from the Wii and original Switch remain unchanged in appearance—what’s changed is how Nintendo wants players to identify them.
There’s even a disclaimer at the bottom of the screen warning players that “The style you select for your Mii might be reflected as a specific gender in some software.”
The old Mii Gender selection screen used by Nintendo with clear Male and Female markers – X, @Pirat_Nation
This isn’t the first time Nintendo has moved in this direction. In 2022, Splatoon 3 replaced gender options with a similar style system for its customizable Inklings, removing restrictions on clothing and hair styles. Animal Crossing: New Horizons and even 2012’s New Leaf also made strides toward gender-neutral expression.
But the timing of this latest shift—coming just months after a major industry moment—has caught the attention of many.
Gamers Already Voted, and the Results Were Clear
Back in January, CI Games CEO Marek Tymiński ran a now-viral poll asking players how they felt about gender selection in character creation.
The result? An overwhelming 88% of more than 49,000 respondents said they preferred the traditional “male” or “female” options.
With over 49K votes, 88% of you said you prefer “male/female” choice. As a player-first studio, we will update Lords of the Fallen (2023) and future titles in the series accordingly. Stay Tuned. https://t.co/L6MgMk7Ada
— Marek Tyminski (@tyminski_marek) January 15, 2025
Following this decisive feedback, Tymiński pledged not only to honor that preference in future games but to retroactively patch Lords of the Fallen to include male/female gender options—removing its controversial “Body Type A/B” system.
He did exactly that and was rewarded with a sales explosion.
A screenshot from The Lords of The Fallen announcement trailer – YouTube, GameSpot
“With over 49K votes, 88% of you said you prefer ‘male/female’ choice,” Tymiński wrote. “As a player-first studio, we will update Lords of the Fallen and future titles in the series accordingly.”
The announcement was hailed by fans as a rare case of a game studio listening to its audience and adjusting course accordingly. In contrast, many criticized the Body Type A/B system, which is all too common in many AAA titles, for inserting unnecessary identity politics into gaming.
A Tale of Two Studios
While Nintendo’s decision may be an extension of its recent design trends, it also reflects a broader pattern in the gaming industry. Some developers are doubling down on gender politics while others are returning to tradition.
Bowser and Bowser Jr. demonstrate Nintendo’s new parental controls – YouTube, Nintendo of America
CI Games’ move was especially notable because it walked back a live product’s character system—something virtually unheard of. Tymiński’s promise to overhaul Lords of the Fallen was praised as a rejection of divisive ideology and a return to what players actually want.
A screenshot from Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024), BioWare
Meanwhile, studios like BioWare have faced growing criticism over similar identity-driven changes. Dragon Age: The Veilguard, for example, drew backlash for its focus on progressive customization features (including the ability to mix voice types with any body and add top surgery scars) amid a backdrop of disappointing sales and high refund rates.
That title is now frequently cited as a cautionary tale of ignoring player preferences in favor of social messaging.
The Bigger Picture
Nintendo’s subtle removal of gender labels for Miis may not stir as much immediate outrage as some AAA RPGs, but it does raise questions about where the industry is headed. With CI Games standing firmly behind player-driven development, and major studios like BioWare losing both goodwill and market share through ideological customization, the debate over gender in games isn’t going anywhere.
It may ultimately come down to this: Are developers building games for themselves, or for the players?
A screenshot from the trailer to Mario Kart World – YouTube, Nintendo of America
As the Switch 2 nears release, Nintendo’s approach seems baked into its identity. But CI Games has shown there’s another path—one where player input actually shapes the final product.
And if Marek Tymiński’s poll is any indication, there are millions of players who just want character creation to be simple again.
What do you think about Nintendo removing gender from Mii avatars? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
How many tariff-loving socialist hypocrites bought their Switch 2 today?
Unfortunately Nintendo fanboys turn their brain off when it comes to Nintendo products. Even if it would turn out Nintendo sponsored the parties on Epstein Island, the Nintendo fanboys would still find excuses why Nintendo is the good guy, just to consume their product.
That’s why I think the market regulating itself, through supply and demand, is a myth, created by the people who actually control the market.
Gender is not a style and I’m fed up of the expectation that every single person needs to change their language in order to not offend the mentally ill. Society should reflect the majority not the minority. They chose not to conform to society, so society doesn’t need to conform to them. The wrong people are excluded.
BlackRock $hekels at it again.
If you thought that humans are “winning” lately, I’m afraid to tell you that you are just delusional and all of this insanity that we are forced to live in will never EVER end until this cunning, subversive and parasitical cancer and stone age Satanic cult of death ideology that is JuDIEsm and its eternal war that it has been waging against the human race for the past 5000 years is genocided and exterminated from the face of the earth, for good this time.
Yet another reason to not get the Switch 2.
I just can repeat myself: I don’t need any more reasons to never buy Nintendo products again, but Nintendo still keeps adding them.
[…] Fonte: thatparkplace […]