Modded Video Games Imagine Male Characters ‘Hypersexualized’ Just Like Women

Image courtesy of Women in Games

Gaming graphics may have improved exponentially over the years, but the industry still lags behind on how it portrays women; the notion about video games just being for boys hasn’t been shaken off. French nonprofit Women in Games, however, points out that in 2022, one in two gamers is female, which accounts for 1.5 billion players around the world.

Yet, only 22% of people working in gaming studios are women. The perpetuation of gender stereotypes in video games, where female characters are often hypersexualized, stunts perceptions and inhibits women from joining the industry. It’s a vicious cycle, as what the industry needs are more women to overturn these clichés.

The normalization of how female characters are depicted in video games becomes blatantly clear when the roles are reversed. 

Video screenshot via Women in Games

Together with advertising agency BETC Paris, Women in Games hijacked game files of some of the most prominent titles, directly coding male characters to move in the exact motions assigned to their female counterparts. The edits in the new #GenderSwap campaign were made possible with the help of game mods found online.

Image courtesy of Women in Games

Visuals imagine male game characters unusually shaking their buttocks, performing suggestive dances, and posing provocatively.

Women in Games is on its way to changing, well, the game. Proud of its ability to “play like a girl,” the organization aims to encourage underrepresented individuals to be part of the gaming business. It hopes to double the number of women and non-binary individuals working in the video game industry in 10 years.

Image courtesy of Women in Games

Image courtesy of Women in Games

Image courtesy of Women in Games

[via Women in Games and B&T, images courtesy of BETC Paris]