Blizzard & The Female Narrative

At some point we got sick of all the princess being rescued by the brave CIS-male warriors. We got appalled by the fact that intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran (protagonist of the Metroid franchise) revealed her gender identity by undressing to her pink underwear, for players who were able to finish the 1986's Metroid. And we started questioning whether or not Gender Inclusive Game Design was possible with the low representation of minorities in the industry.

During the 2014 hotbed of #GamerGate we saw the backlash against women fighting for equal representation and the complete denial from their male co-workers. It showed us we are far from done with the phenomena and the industry is not yet inclusive, but there are glimps of light and hope in the tunnels of darkness.

With this I wanted to highlight some of the work being done to at Activision Blizzard to change the female narrative. I expect people to be really offended and start sharing links on what Blizzard are doing not as well (because hey, this is the games industry and God forbid anyone said anything positive) but please, when doing so please practice NVC.

Thank you in advance!

I grew up drawn to female antagonists and over the years developed a quite strong bond with the likes of Yunalesca (whom I took my online-nick from), Jenova, Sniper Wolf, Mileena, Mother brain (non-binary) to name a few. I constantly found myself questioning evil or good as the path to hell is paved with good intentions and the winner gets to tell the tale at the end - perhaps they would have been portrayed otherwise had they been the winners. Perhaps they are just women of ambition, with a clear view of how the world should be, prepared to do anything to enable that vision.

Enter Sarah Kerrigan, a character with a story line pre- and post-infestation, a character with a depth unlike any before her, a characted deemed "The Most Evil Woman in Gaming" in 2012. She takes her name from Nancy Kerrigan, the victim of the Tonya Harding Ice-skating feud, showing it would take a lot more than a baseball bat to break the spirit of a Queen. Much like in professional sports, Sarah Kerrigan was thrown into rigorous training Confederate Ghost program as a child due to her psychic potential. Initially a introvert, being freed by the Zerg, Sarah unleashes her full potential as the "Queen of Blades" and leaves players awe-struck and wanting more. Already in 1998, upon her creation and beyond, she has grown in darkness and depth and the studio has been praised for her creation.

"I've walked the realms of the dead. I have seen the infinite dark. Nothing you say. Or do. Could possibly frighten me."

Although we are not in agreement on if she is a protagonist or antagonist, Sylvanas Windrunner leaves no player unaffected. Initially in the grasp of the Lich King by the hand of Arthas, Sylvanas breaks free from his control and finally (as seen during BlizzCon) destroys the Helm of Domination of Bolvar Fordragon to show once and for all that he rules no authority over her and is but a pawn in her grand architecture. With this act of virtue she opens up the gateways to the Shadowlands. Mistrusted by foes as well as allies, Sylvanas had Warchief Vol'jin declare her as his successor with his dying breath, overcame Varok Saurfang in combat and is still pursuing her own agenda with the help of those still loyal to her and her cause. Wherever this journey ends, it will go down as one of the most impactful in the female antagonist history in games.

"Lilith is her true name, an evil older than the world! She is the mother of deceit, the mistress of betrayal! You are indeed strong for having survived against her, my son."

During the trailer annoucing Diablo IV, we see a familiar face of evil descend upon the mortals. Lilith, daughter of Mephisto, makes a grand entrance back into the franchise and the Queen of the Succubi is once again back in the Sanctuary she once Mothered. It makes me wonder if the Mother is bored once again, and decides to take action for her own amusement - it wouldn't be the first time she goes against the leadership of Diablo with the nephalem offspring she and Inarius breaded being what sends the Lord of Terror into destruction and finally ends the Great Conflict. Breathtaking, Seductive and manipulative - the first time we lay eyes upon her in Diablo II we know it will not be the last. Even in the Hebrew and Biblical narrative Lilith is the woman who leaves Adam and the Garden of Eden because she does not want to be ruled by the laws of men and is often portrayed as the mother of vampires and all evil.

It's not the first time a woman is scolded for not wanting to play by the rules of men. It depicts our society in a way, if we don't want to bend to the self-appointed authority, we are clearly witches and demons - how ironic.

I for one can't wait to play and dive into the evolution of these characters and I appreciate the time the Blizzard crew has put into making these characters so real, with such a complexity and depth. Even if I am to fight and kill these Queens at some point (I'm guessing I will have to), I will be forever lost and mesmerized by their narrative and it will always empower me to think about authority in everyday life and question it to the core.

Thank you for granting us all the chance to be heroes and villains.