League of Legends is one of the most popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games out there, but its also lagging when in comes to LGBT characters.

That will change "at some point," says design director Greg Street, who doesn't seem to be in a rush to alter the status quo.

In an interview with The Rift Herald, Street said game makers “owe it to the players and, I think, to the world to [include LGBT characters].”

“What I don’t want to do is be like, ‘Okay, team, next character, whatever you do, has to be lesbian,'" he added. "From the beginning, it has to be the character’s identity.”

Street also said Riot Games had to be “careful” with LGBT content in countries where homosexuality is illegal or banned from being depicted to minors.

“It could end up with players in that region not being able to play a game, which may be striking a blow to those players. We don’t want to indirectly hurt players.” (Rift Herald points out that FIFA 17 could be banned in Russia because it allows players to dress teams in rainbow uniforms.)

Queer characters are increasingly common in online gaming, but companies feel they have to walk a tightrope: Tracer was recently confirmed as a lesbian in the Overwatch series, even as Blizzard Games blocked an Overwatch digital comic in Russia because it depicted her with her girlfriend.

Adding to the complexity of the situation is how toxic MOBAs can become, with players spewing slurs or even directing other users to kill themselves. In 2014 Riot Games donated more than $31,000 from player fines to the Trevor Project.

So while we eagerly await League's first out player, we're even more interested in fostering an online environment where gamers can feel safe and accepted.

h/t: iTech Post