Riot Games admits having to censor its new LoL champion in certain countries that do not accept members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
At the launch of its new champion on League of Legends, Riot Games speaks about the potential controversies around the character. K’Santé is a bit special since it holds the title of first black character from the LGBTQIA+ community to enter the MOBA. This last feature, Riot Games admits not wanting to highlight it in some parts of the world.
The fighter is therefore subject to censorship, which obviously does not appeal to players who are members of the community. Being one of the most popular games in history, League of Legends must represent a fairly large panel of the world’s population. With more than 140 champions in total, the matter should not be so complicated. And yet… some countries put a spoke in the wheel at the studio. Jeremy Lee explains that he is very proud of the character of K’Santé, but declares:
“I hope all League Of Legends players can find a champion who looks like them. Each region of the world can modify certain aspects of the game to adapt to the local culture […] publish this story in a way that it feels is most appropriate for players. […]Even if it’s not explicit, even if it’s not direct, even if changes have been made, or if things just aren’t as front and center for this character’s identity, it’s like how you’re supposed to see them.”
Nazumah’s pride don’t show off everywhere
Another developer, Michael Luo, explains for his part that the sexual identity of the character was very important. If it does not specify which countries are affected by the changes, we know that the words “lovers” or even “partner” are part of the known modifications. Despite everything, the story of K’Santé remains the same. He declares :
“We absolutely wanted to make sure that there was a real romantic relationship. […] I wanted to make sure that Tope [nldr l’amant de K’Sante] didn’t just exist as an idea, that we could portray him in a story, visually, and while he’s not a playable character, I wanted us to be able to do everything we could to show that these two people exist in time and have a meaningful relationship.”
The fighter from the lands of Nazumah is therefore a source of pride for some, but not for everyone. Players deplore the choice of Riot Games, which adapts to so-called “homophobic” markets and has strict laws on the representation of identities from the LGBTQIA + community. Some even accuse the studio of privileging its financial relations rather than supporting a cause linked to human rights, which today still has heavy and deadly consequences throughout the world.
