Nintendo confirmed this week that its new Fire Emblem game will include same-sex marriages.
According to Polygon, Fire Emblem Fates, already out in Japan and coming to the U.S. in 2016, “includes the possibility for a same-sex marriage to take place between the main character created by the gamer and another character in the game,” according to a Nintendo statement to Polygon.
Nintendo announced the same-sex marriages earlier this week in advance of today’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states.
How does one achieve a same-sex relationship in Nintendo-land?
Nintendo will have two versions of Fates, “Conquest” and “Birthright,” sold separately (of course). Male characters can marry after they “bond in battle” in “Conquest,” the same holding true for female characters in “Birthright.” A third edition of the game, to be made available later, will allow both.
As Polygon points out, Nintendo has been criticized for restricting same-sex options, especially in Tomodochi Life. Nintendo made the following statement when announcing Fates:
“We believe that our gameplay experiences should reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate and, at the same time, we will always design the game specifications of each title by considering a variety of factors, such as the game’s scenario and the nature of the game play. In the end of course, the game should be fun to play. We feel that Fire Emblem Fates is indeed enjoyable to play and we hope fans like the game.”
