Games That Added Same-Sex Marriage After Player Petitions

Players have been instrumental in encouraging game developers to include same-sex marriage and more inclusive wedding options, particularly in life simulation and massively multiplayer online games where weddings are a key feature. Some games launched with these options already included, but others added them later due to strong requests from players, advocates working on translations, or feedback specific to certain regions. Here are some examples of games where player feedback directly led to these features being added, along with the companies that made the changes.

‘Final Fantasy XIV’ (2013)

Square Enix was initially worried about causing problems in some areas if they allowed same-sex marriage in their online game. However, players strongly requested the option for equal representation in the game’s marriage ceremony after the game was updated. The game’s producer, Naoki Yoshida, and his team heard this feedback and added it in an update, letting any two players marry each other regardless of gender. This made the game a welcoming place for everyone.

‘Mass Effect: Andromeda’ (2017)

When BioWare released the game, players were upset that the male character, Scott Ryder, had fewer chances for romantic relationships than the female character. Many fans were especially disappointed that the alien character Jaal was only interested in female characters, even though the game described his species as being very open-minded. The developers fixed this with an update (Patch 1.08) that let players customize characters more and, importantly, allowed Scott Ryder to romance Jaal. This change was made because players wanted more fair and equal options for relationships in the game.

‘The Sims FreePlay’ (2011)

Although previous versions of The Sims allowed same-sex relationships, the mobile game initially didn’t let Sims of the same sex get married. Players could have romantic connections, but couldn’t officially tie the knot. The 2013 “Wedding Belles” update fixed this, letting all couples marry and have weddings, bringing the mobile game in line with the core values of the franchise.

‘Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town’ (2019)

Marvelous and XSEED Games made a key change when they released the farming simulator in Western countries. The original Japanese version had a ‘Best Friends’ system for same-sex couples that worked the same as marriage, but with a different name. John Wheeler, the localization manager, confirmed they decided to call it ‘marriage’ for all couples to treat everyone equally. This inclusive decision was very popular and led to similar changes in later games in the series.

‘Rune Factory 5’ (2021)

Marvelous’s farming simulation game first came out in Japan without the ability for players to marry same-sex partners. However, the team at XSEED Games, who translated and released the game in Western countries, strongly advocated for adding this feature. Due to overwhelming player demand, the developers then updated the Japanese version to include it as well. This was a significant change for the game series and paved the way for more inclusive options in future games.

‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’ (2011)

When BioWare first released this online role-playing game, players couldn’t create same-sex relationships for their characters. However, after many years of requests from the gaming community, the developers added these options starting with the ‘Rise of the Hutt Cartel’ expansion. At first, same-sex romances were only available on certain planets, but the ‘Shadow of Revan’ expansion and later updates made them available throughout the game for all major characters. Now, players can build romantic relationships and even marry companions, regardless of gender.

‘Fire Emblem Fates’ (2015)

Nintendo faced criticism after its game Tomodachi Life didn’t allow same-sex relationships. They responded by promising more inclusivity in future games, and delivered on that promise with this strategy RPG. While only one same-sex marriage was possible per game version – limited to specific characters like Niles and Rhajat – it was the first time the long-running series had included same-sex relationships at all.

‘Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition’ (2019)

When Square Enix first released this role-playing game, players could only marry one character: Gemma, the protagonist’s childhood friend. Many fans were upset they couldn’t build romantic relationships with other characters they liked. The updated Definitive Edition fixed this by letting players choose any character – including male characters like Erik and Sylvando – to be their life partner. While the game calls it a partnership, it functions like a marriage system, allowing players to choose a partner regardless of gender.

‘Crusader Kings III’ (2020)

At first, Paradox Interactive limited same-sex relationships in their game to character traits and story events, without allowing formal same-sex marriage within the game’s rules for determining who could rule. When an update accidentally stopped mods that did allow same-sex marriage from working, players expressed their disappointment. Paradox responded by releasing Patch 1.5, which officially let players choose to legalize same-sex marriage during their games. This addition was built directly into the game so that computer-controlled characters and rules about who inherits power would work as intended.

‘Haven’ (2020)

The game developers, The Game Bakers, first launched their RPG with a story centered on a male and female couple, Yu and Kay. They always hoped to offer more diverse relationships, but couldn’t afford it when the game initially came out due to their limited budget. Once the game became popular, they released a free update called ‘Couples Update’ that let players choose to play as a male-female, female-female, or male-male couple. This meant recording new dialogue and designing new character appearances to match their original concept.

‘Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life’ (2023)

The first version of this game, released in 2003, required players to marry a character of the opposite sex and have a child to advance the storyline. When a remake was announced, fans asked the developers to remove this restriction. The updated game now lets players marry anyone they choose, regardless of gender. They also added an option for players to create a non-binary character, making this one of the most welcoming and inclusive games in the farming simulation genre.

‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ (2019)

The original game allowed for same-sex relationships, but players noticed that male characters had fewer romantic options than female characters. The developers, Intelligent Systems, fixed this after release by adding Jeritza as a romance option for male Byleth. Importantly, this addition was a free update, meaning all players could enjoy the new storyline and more balanced romantic choices, which pleased many fans.

‘Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos’ (2023)

For years, Natsume Inc. avoided including same-sex marriage in their games, usually claiming it was due to technical limitations or longstanding tradition. However, after seeing the success of games like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons which featured inclusive options, Natsume changed course. This new release became the first Harvest Moon game to allow players to marry any gender, representing a significant policy change following years of requests from fans.

‘Mass Effect 3’ (2012)

Originally, in the first two Mass Effect games, Commander Shepard could only romance the human squadmate Kaidan Alenko if she was female. However, the developers, BioWare, expanded Kaidan’s romance options in the third game to include male Shepards. This update was largely due to the dedicated fan base, known as “Shenko” shippers, who had been requesting this pairing since the very first game. The change allowed players who wanted to explore a relationship with Kaidan as a male Shepard to finally do so, providing a long-awaited conclusion to that storyline.

‘The Sims 4’ (2014)

While same-sex marriage was already an option in the core game, the release of the ‘My Wedding Stories’ expansion caused controversy. Initially, the creators announced it wouldn’t be available in Russia because of laws restricting LGBTQ+ content, which led to widespread player protests using the hashtag #WeddingsForRussia. The developers then changed their minds and released the full version worldwide. Later, they added more detailed options for Sims’ sexual orientations in a base game update, allowing for more realistic and diverse relationships.

Tell us which of these games handled the inclusion best in the comments.

2025-12-09 04:19