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- The GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Video Game is an annual award that honors video games for excellence in the depiction of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) characters and themes. It is one of several categories of the annual GLAAD Media Awards, which are presented by GLAAD—an American non-governmental media monitoring organization founded in 1985, formerly called the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation—at ceremonies in New York City; Los Angeles; and San Francisco between March and June. The award was first given at the 30th GLAAD Media Awards in 2019 to The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset, an expansion pack developed by ZeniMax Online Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks for The Elder Scrolls Online. The 32nd ceremony in 2021 marks the only instance where a tie has occurred, with The Last of Us Part II (developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment) and Tell Me Why (developed by Dontnod Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios) both winning the award. For a video game to be eligible, it must contain "outstanding LGBTQ-inclusive content", consisting of LGBT characters and stories that are "authentic and impactful". An important criterion is to what extent the LGBT-inclusive content is integrated into the gameplay, specifically in regard to player agency and the game's world. Said LGBT-inclusive content must be revealed either within the game itself, or alternate media that are canonical to the game's world. Since 2021, only video games from major developers and publishers are eligible as standard, although a game from non-major developers and publishers can still be nominated if it achieves a similar level of visibility and impact to a mainstream work. If a game was released prior to the eligibility period, it can still be nominated if "substantial new first-party content" is released during the eligibility period, with said content being evaluated. Video games selected by GLAAD are evaluated based on four criteria: "Fair, Accurate, and Inclusive Representations" of the LGBT community, "Boldness and Originality" of the project, significant "Impact" on mainstream culture, and "Overall Quality" of the project. GLAAD monitors mainstream media to identify which video games will be nominated, while also issuing a Call for Entries that encourages media outlets to submit games for consideration. Video games created by and for an LGBT audience must be submitted in order to be considered for nomination, as GLAAD does not monitor such works for defamation. Winners are determined by a plurality vote by GLAAD staff and board, Shareholders Circle members, as well as volunteers and affiliated individuals. The award has received some criticism, especially during 2019 and 2020, for its emphasis on mainstream Triple-A video games, which is often viewed as occurring at the expense of indie ones. Furthermore, criticism has also been aimed at the fact many of the mainstream games nominated contained minimal levels of LGBT-inclusive content and representation. Since its inception, the award has been given to five video games. At the 33rd GLAAD Media Awards in 2022, the award was given to Life Is Strange: True Colors, developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. (en)
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