Starfield pronouns controversy explained: Why is character creation sparking debate?

Starfield has finally arrived, and players at last have access to the near-infinite wonders of space. However, one of the largest discussions of the game online surrounds its character creation system and approach to flexible pronouns.

Starfield follows a long list of popular RPGs (Role Playing Games) from Bethesda that have always put a heavy focus on player choice and different approaches to progressing through the game.

With Starfield, Bethesda aimed to create “their biggest RPG ever”, and to do this, they expanded both the physical size of the game’s world and the variety of options that players could choose at every level of gameplay.

This has translated into Bethesda’s most elaborate character creation system yet, with dozens of traits, skills, and backgrounds to choose from. However, this flexibility has meant that some parts of your character are a bit too customizable for some players.

Why are some players so angry with pronouns in Starfield?

Discussions over pronouns in character creation started when one streamer went viral on Twitter/X for a two-minute rant about creating his character in Starfield.

British streamer Heel VS Babyface said his immersion in the science fiction space RPG was completely ruined when he was asked to select pronouns for his character.

He shouted: “I love nothing more than being dragged out at every f**king conceivable opportunity so that you can f**king ‘current day’ us!”

While his argument has received support from other players who say their immersion was also upset, several large content creators have stepped in to defend the game’s decision, and to ridicule the streamer, including Hasan and The Act Man.

Dr Disrepsect had a similar reaction to the British streamer when he first encountered the character creation screen, where he stared at the pronouns option for several seconds in disbelief.

He then revealed that he was denied access to the game by Bethesda, and implied that it was due to dislike of the game’s handling of gender identity, saying: “He/him… Got it, ok. Now everything’s starting to make sense.” 

Mods for the game emerged that let players remove the pronouns option, though these were quickly taken down from several large mod sites, including Nexus Mods.

What has Bethesda said about Starfield’s character creation?

Bethesda hasn’t commented on the ongoing arguments about the game’s approach to character pronouns and how it handles gender identity.

During the deep-dive Starfield showcase, Bethesda’s team said that the aim of the character creation system was to let players “create highly detailed and diverse characters.”

“Your journey can be as detailed or as quick as you want it to be. This new system offer more choices than ever before.”

For more news and updates on Starfield, check out our guide on the best way to approach the game’s main story.