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Bioware Adds Gay Romance Options To "Mass Effect: Andromeda"

"It seemed only natural that Scott could have a relationship with Jaal."

Bioware had updated the latest edition of Mass Effect with a patch that adds more same-sex romance options for hero Scott Ryder. In Mass Effect: Andromeda Ryder can now pursue Jaal, a male squad mate and member of the Angara race.

Mass Effect: Andromeda/Bioware

Mass Effect: Andromeda/Bioware

Since the Angara have a fluid view of gender, the company said in a statement, "it seemed only natural that Scott could have a relationship with Jaal."

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.

Our writing, editing, and animation teams worked together to ensure this change made sense for Jaal’s character, and the result is a relationship we hope feels as fulfilling and memorable for Scott as it does for Sara.

Previously, Ryder could hook up with two minor human characters, but LGBT gamers complained the scenes paled in comparison to the game's straight dalliances. The gay sex scenes quickly faded to black, or had something blocking a clear view of the two men kissing.

“Cora and Ryder get one of the most sexually explicit scenes in a BioWare game to date, and we don’t even get at least one gratuitous ass shot of Gil,” wrote one YouTuber. “It further lets us know that, for the time being, gay sex is still too taboo for developers to seriously consider incorporating in a mainstream video game.”

Same-sex romance options were first introduced in Mass Effect 3. The patch update means Andromeda players who chose to make Ryder gay can win the “Matchmaker” trophy, which requires him to successfully romance three different characters.

"This is an excellent choice not only because Jaal is one of the more interesting characters in Mass Effect: Andromeda," wrote queer gamer Jack DeVries, "but also because it adds a proper crew member as a male-male romance option, one of the aspects lacking in the game."

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