The video game industry has been historically designed and marketed towards a male audience for decades. With video games such as Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Destiny 2 growing in popularity over the early 2000’s, it was brought to many game developers’ and consumer’s attention that the overall design of video games is created to fit a male consumer’s expectations. Many gamers have critiqued this “aesthetic” of video games as a design choice to serve their main demographic. However, I want to delve into the more harmful and revolting reality of game development and design: the over-sexualization and objectification of women in video games.
Throughout the years, many women have pointed out the inconsistency among video game character development and that this absence of representation has turned them away from purchasing a game, or interacting with any of its media. The disproportionate design of female characters in games is due to the lack of female game developers, the commodification of women’s bodies, and the perpetuation of unrealistic beauty standards.
Video game critics and players have pointed out that many female video game characters, such as Mileena from Mortal Kombat, are described as oversexualized; similarly to male characters, such as Kratos from God of War, who have also been criticized as revealing and sexualized. What is the striking difference between gender in the sexualization of design?
Women in the media are often depicted with revealing clothing and unrealistic body proportions. While male characters can also have unrealistic proportions and revealing clothing, it is less common and rarely leads to the same level of objectification. Men’s bodies are less commodified in society, resulting in a big difference in reactions when male characters are “sexualized.” Most tend not to bat an eye at it.Â
With the new hero shooter Marvel Rivals making a rise in popularity over the past few months, many players have noticed the sexual aspect of every female character design within the game. Specifically, Psylocke and Invisible Woman’s newest “Vengeance” and “Malice” skin release sparked conversation around this topic.Â
Most Marvel Rivals cosmetic skins are adapted from the MCU Comics, so why couldn’t the game developers and design team work to make the skins fit a less sexualized stereotype? This could very well be from the fact that 23 percent of game developers are women. With the lack of input from the group of women themselves, most video game characters are created by men looking through the “male gaze.” Without having diversity in perspectives and experiences, the media often produces content that caters to only one group of people. Additionally, many women in the field of video game design face workplace harassment, both on the job and outside the workplace.
The other harmful issue with the depiction of women in video game media is their frequent portrayal as passive and submissive characters. Female characters are often depicted in a subordinate role, while male characters are portrayed as heroes. Even when female characters are given a heroic role, they are often met with one-dimensional character development and are still largely objectified, with their bodies becoming their defining quality. Companies and organizations have and continue to benefit financially by exploiting women’s bodies, especially in the media.Â
Oftentimes, this behavior within video games is not seen as a problem, and perhaps encouraged. As games are traditionally marketed to male consumer, they will continue to cater to this mentality. Women see from a different perspective, and often find the portrayals of these women in video games as setting harmful stereotypes. While sexualization is a big issue, diverse body type representation is also lacking and contributes to a beauty standard forced onto women.
Nature is not made to be stagnant, and human kind is not meant to be limited and defined by others.
Mea Rose
 A study done in 2023 indicates that 46 percent of girls grow up playing video games. That number has trended downward in recent years and I believe it is directly linked to the stigma around the portrayal of women in video games. Stereotypical beauty standards have hindered women’s self-esteem for years, and not just in social media and TV shows, but video games too. The unrealistic design of female game characters can lead to this risk in representing women as a specific body type, and living their lives trying to achieve something that was modeled to them at a young age.
While it is a troubling reality that women are oversexualized in video games and the media, there is growing momentum towards a more productive path in video game design. Female game developers and gamers are speculating that they are reaching a “tipping point” in change. Truly, the only path forward to battling this discriminatory aspect of video games is clear: studios must hire more women in key creative roles, gamers must resist harmful stereotypes, and both should advocate for change. Mindful consumption is the key to battling inequalities within the media. Women have always been a part of gaming, and it’s time the industry and developers fully recognize and respect them.