The online hero shooter is a well-established genre these days, but Respawn’s Apex Legends has proven particularly popular, in part thanks to the diversity of its character roster.
Since its launch five years ago, Respawn has continued to add new Legends from all across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, most recently introducing asexual Legend Alter. But how are these Legends created? How does Respawn ensure its representation is authentic, and why is that important? I spoke with narrative lead Ashley Reed and Alter writer Jaclyn Seto to find out more.
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Eurogamer: I’m going to start with the really big but really obvious question: why is it important for players to feel seen through strong representation in the Legends roster?
Ashley Reed: Gosh, that is a big question! There are a thousand very good reasons for that. It’s important to me that people feel seen. I know what it’s like, to a degree, to really enjoy a space, a medium, and feel like you’re not seen as part of that even though you’re right there. Feeling disregarded, feeling pushed away, is a bad feeling, especially when you want to engage with that thing because you love it.