Posted in: Games, Microsoft, Video Games | Tagged: lgbt, LGBTQ, lgbtqia, pride month, xbox

Xbox Announces 2021 Pride Celebrations To Honor LGBTQIA+ Players

Published Sat, 05 Jun 2021 15:43:09 -0500

Xbox Game Studios revealed their plans for their 2021 Pride Month celebrations in which they will honor LGBTQIA+ players. The company will be focusing on "intersectionality and lifting up LGBTQIA+ voices across gaming" as well as donating $150K to LGBTQIA+ nonprofits. On top of that, they have opened up a number of different initiatives that will carry throughout the month of June. Plus, they'll be selling special Pride merchandise through their shop that will only be made available this month for gamers who wish to show off their colors. We have a complete list of everything the company is doing down below.

The special pride Month logo, courtesy of Xbox Game Studios.

Tell Me Why, the award-winning narrative adventure starring a lead, playable transgender character, is available for free on Xbox consoles, the Microsoft Store and Steam for all of June 2021.

Microsoft is donating a total of $150,000 to nonprofits around the world to help in the fight for LGBTQIA+ equity including ACLU Foundation, The Trevor Project, Act to Change, OutRight Action International, BEAM, and Mermaids.

Gamers in the US can also support LGBTQIA+ organizations through Microsoft Rewards by earning and donating points to organizations including The Trevor Project, OutRight Action International, and the Transgender Law Center.

Xbox is highlighting a collection of games that feature LGBTQIA+ relationship options, playable characters, and customizable character choices such as Tell Me Why, Undertale, Ikenfell, and 2064 Read Only Memories.

A new PRIDE collection from Xbox, Halo, and other projects – were created in support of the community and are available now in the Xbox Store.

Select games will unveil new Pride-themed features and activities. This includes a rainbow livery in Forza, a "Unity" nameplate in Halo, and a Gears 5-based punch card where players can raise funds for a social good organization of their choice by completing in-game tasks.