Gaming Studio Mandates Pronouns For Playtest

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Ruckus Games has become to latest developer to require players to select their pronouns.

A startup studio established by industry veterans from Gearbox, Riot, and Bethesda, has encountered initial criticism as it begins public testing for its inaugural game release. This Texas-based team is currently inviting participants to join a limited-time early access playtest of their yet-unnamed cooperative role-playing shooter. However, players have pointed out an oddity in the registration form.

To sign up for the test, potential participants need to select their preferred pronouns from a compulsory list of options. These options are: “He/him,” “She/her,” “They/them,” or “Other.

There is no option to skip the field or leave it blank.

The choice to require the use of pronouns has certainly caught people’s attention. Mark Kern, who goes by Grummz online and was previously a team leader for World of Warcraft, voiced his opposition to this rule on social media platforms.

So Ruckus Games is a new studio that REQUIRES pronouns to sign up for their first look demo.

Nope. Non-buy-nary. They should have listed that as an option.

— Grummz (@Grummz) June 30, 2025

He shared that Ruckus Games, a fresh studio, demands pronoun usage during registration for their initial demo preview. However, he expressed disagreement with this rule, suggesting instead that they should offer it as an optional choice.

As a film enthusiast, I find myself caught in the middle of a heated debate about a recent trend in gaming. Some gamers dismiss this as just another facet of contemporary studio practices, while others view it as an instance where creative priorities are skewed towards identity expression over gameplay quality. For numerous players like me, being asked to share one’s pronouns—in situations devoid of character customization or gendered gameplay—strikes us as odd and superfluous.

Ruckus describes the playtest experience as a chance to help shape a brand-new kind of shooter.

The company declares on its website that they strive to create an unique, unprecedented experience. If you’re ready for the challenge, Ruckus is seeking passionate and committed players to participate in early playtesting of the game. You, as a player, are our main character! (Both literally and metaphorically.) Join us in Shaping, Conquering, and Expanding!

Established in 2021, Ruckus Games boasts a robust background in AAA game development. The company’s CEO, Paul Sage, has a history of spearheading creative work on games like ‘Borderlands 3’ and ‘The Elder Scrolls Online’. Additionally, other team members have previously worked on hit titles at Riot, Epic, and BioWare.

The studio has recently secured $19 million during their Series A funding round, with Krafton, Bitkraft Ventures, and other investors on board. Their inaugural project, as yet unnamed, is a third-person role-playing game (RPG) shooter, set in an old-fashioned representation of small-town America. Unlike free games, this one will not be free to play, but it’s rumored to offer a comprehensive long-term content strategy and robust live service support.

Although the studio boasts an impressive track record and substantial financial backing, the initial controversy over enforcing pronouns might tarnish their launch promotion. For those who are cautious about what they perceive as ideological assessments creeping into gaming, Ruckus’ insistence on a pronoun field appears alarming – and could potentially restrict its appeal to a broader audience.

The outcome of the controversy – whether it subsides or escalates – is largely contingent upon how Ruckus Games chooses to respond (or not). At this moment, the playtest registration is still active, though it’s limited to individuals who are comfortable sharing their pronouns.

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2025-07-01 17:56