8 ways to celebrate pride as a gamer
Pride across the Multiverse
Wizards of the Coast
Magic: The Gathering is perhaps the most complex game ever created by humans, but you know what isn’t complicated? How totally awesome is the Secret Lair Pride collection. Secret Lair are sets of MTG cards that have unique art centered around a theme. This year, Wizards of the Coast is releasing a set celebrating Pride. The designs are amazing and 50% of the proceeds go to benefit the Trevor Project.
Xbox Pride Controller
Microsoft
Gotta get this sweet rainbow merch baby! There’s a lot of (totally justified) lament about companies simply trying to make money by slapping rainbows on everything in June. But still, this controller is objectively awesome. The control “brings together 34 community flags in a thin, interwoven fashion to celebrate the nuance, complexity, intersectionality, and strength of the many LGBTQIA+ communities. It’s covered in flags from different sections and intersections of the queer community and will be fully customizable through the Xbox Design Lab.
Sony Swag and games
Sony highlights all-star games featuring heroes and queer characters with a list of more than 50 titles available to play and download.
Queer Games Pack 2022
The second annual Queer game set is available on itch.io to celebrate Pride and all the queer creators who have contributed. It’s also the best game deal of the month, with zines, software and over 500(!) games from over 400 developers. You can support this artist community by purchasing the bundle for $60. There is also a sliding scale paid edition available for $10-$20. Proceeds from the bundle go directly to the queer creators who worked on the games and it’s a great way to support a community of independent game developers and get hours of gaming content at the same time!
‘Tell Me Why’ Free Download
Dontnod Entertainment does Tell me why free to buy throughout June. The studio behind life is strange is known for its incredible stories featuring queer protagonists with supernatural powers. This game features Tyler, a trans man who reconnects with his sister as they investigate their mother’s death. It’s available to download on Steam and the Microsoft Store throughout the month.
See our list of 15 queer gaming icons to continue the party. Good game and good Pride!