You're scrolling through Steam or checking out a new trailer on YouTube, and there it is. The comment section is a war zone. One side is screaming about "agendas," while the other is rolling their eyes at "anti-woke" crusaders. It’s unavoidable now. Before you even see a gameplay loop or check the PC requirements, you’re forced to ask: is this game woke?
It’s a weird time to be a gamer.
Ten years ago, we talked about frame rates and boss mechanics. Now, the discourse is dominated by "DEI" (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), "sweet baby inc," and whether a female protagonist's jawline is realistic or a political statement. Honestly, it's exhausting. But for a lot of people, the question isn't just about being "mad online." It's about a perceived shift in how stories are told and who they are being told for.
Whether you find the term "woke" useful or think it’s a meaningless buzzword used to bully developers, the impact on the industry is real. It’s affecting sales, it’s affecting reviews, and it’s definitely affecting how you choose your next 60-hour RPG.
What People Actually Mean by "Woke" in Gaming
Let's be real: "woke" is a moving target. If you ask ten different people what it means, you’ll get twelve different answers. Generally, when someone asks is this game woke, they are looking for a few specific things that they find immersion-breaking or preachy.
Usually, it boils down to the inclusion of social or political themes that feel forced rather than organic to the story. This includes things like:
- Gender identity and pronoun selection in character creators (think Starfield).
- Race-swapping established characters in remakes or sequels.
- Protagonists that seem designed to "check boxes" rather than serve the plot.
- Heavy-handed dialogue regarding modern-day social justice issues.
For some players, these are welcome steps toward a more inclusive hobby. For others, it feels like a lecture they didn't pay for. When Concord flopped spectacularly in 2024, many pointed to its "hero shooter" fatigue, but a loud segment of the internet blamed its "forced" character designs. They saw it as a "woke" product that prioritized optics over fun. Whether that’s the whole truth is debatable—the game also cost 40 bucks in a free-to-play market—but the narrative stuck.
The Role of Narrative Consultancies
You’ve probably heard of Sweet Baby Inc. by now. If you haven't, they are a narrative consultation firm that works with studios like Sony, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. to diversify stories and characters. In 2024, they became the epicenter of the "is this game woke" debate.
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A Steam curator group called "Sweet Baby Inc. Detected" gained hundreds of thousands of followers specifically to track which games the company worked on. The logic? If Sweet Baby Inc. touched it, the game was "woke" by default.
This created a massive rift. On one side, developers argue that consultants help them avoid tropes and reach a wider audience. On the other side, players feel like these firms are "sanitizing" games, removing edge, and inserting modern California politics into worlds where they don't belong. When Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League underperformed, the "anti-woke" crowd took it as a victory against these consulting practices.
But it’s not always that simple. Alan Wake 2 had involvement from similar consultants, and it was a critical darling that many players loved, despite some grumbling about character changes. Quality still matters. A good game can often overcome the "woke" label, while a mediocre game will be torn apart for it.
The Modern Character Creator Conflict
Character creators used to be simple. You picked "Male" or "Female."
Now, games like Dragon Age: The Veilguard or Cyberpunk 2077 offer body types, voice tones, and pronoun selections that aren't tied to a binary choice. For some, this is the ultimate "is this game woke" red flag. It’s a small UI change, but it represents a massive shift in philosophy.
Is it "woke" to give people more options? From a business perspective, BioWare would argue they want everyone to feel represented in their massive fantasy epics. From a traditionalist perspective, it feels like the erasure of basic categories for the sake of a tiny minority of users.
Then there's the "uglyfication" debate. You’ll see side-by-side comparisons of female characters from Japanese games (like Stellar Blade) versus Western games (like Fable or Star Wars Outlaws). The argument is that Western devs are intentionally making female characters less "traditionally attractive" to satisfy "woke" standards. It sounds like a conspiracy theory until you see the 50-minute YouTube essays dedicated to analyzing cheekbone structures.
Does "Go Woke, Go Broke" Actually Apply to Games?
The phrase "Go woke, go broke" is tossed around every time a game fails. But the data is messy.
- The Failures: Concord and Dustborn are often cited as proof that "woke" games fail. These games had very low player counts and heavy "progressive" themes.
- The Successes: Baldur’s Gate 3 is incredibly "woke" by almost any definition. You can be a gender-fluid druid who sleeps with a bear. It won Game of the Year and sold millions. The Last of Us Part II faced a massive "anti-woke" backlash at launch but went on to be a massive financial success and spawned a hit HBO show.
It turns out, gamers will tolerate a lot of "woke" content if the game is actually good. If the combat is tight, the graphics are stunning, and the world is immersive, most people don't care about the politics. The problem arises when the politics feel like a mask for a shallow, boring game. When a game is bad and preachy? That’s when the "is this game woke" sentiment turns into a sales-killing wildfire.
How to Tell if a Game Fits Your Preferences
If you're someone who is bothered by these trends, how do you navigate the market? Or if you're someone who wants more representation, how do you find it?
You can't rely on mainstream reviews anymore. Sites like IGN or Kotaku often have a different set of priorities than the average person on r/gaming.
Instead, look at user reviews on Steam. But be careful—review bombing is a real thing. Look for the "middle" reviews. The 10/10s and 0/10s are usually just people fighting a culture war. The 6/10 and 7/10 reviews are where the truth usually lives. They’ll tell you if the story feels forced or if the gameplay actually holds up.
Also, check out "curator" lists on Steam. There are lists specifically designed to highlight games that avoid modern political tropes, and lists that celebrate them. It’s the easiest way to filter the noise.
What's Next for the Industry?
We are seeing a correction. After the backlash of 2023 and 2024, some studios are being more careful. They realize that "the audience" isn't a monolith.
The success of Black Myth: Wukong in 2024 was a massive signal. It was a game rooted in Chinese mythology, focused on high-quality action, and largely ignored Western "consultant" culture. It sold 10 million copies in three days. This showed developers that you don't need to "check the boxes" to have a global hit. You just need to make a great game.
At the same time, indie devs are leaning harder into diverse stories. And that’s fine. The beauty of gaming in 2026 is the sheer variety. If you want a "traditional" experience, there are plenty of developers, especially in the East, providing that. If you want a story that explores modern identity, there’s an indie dev in Seattle making exactly what you want.
Actionable Steps for the Discerning Gamer
Instead of getting angry at a thumbnail, here is how you can actually take control of your library:
- Ignore the Pre-Launch Hype: Stop pre-ordering based on trailers. Trailers are marketing. They are designed to trigger an emotional response, whether it’s "this is so inclusive" or "this looks badass." Wait for raw gameplay.
- Use Steam Search Filters: You can exclude tags like "LGBTQ+" if those themes aren't what you're looking for in your escapism. Conversely, you can follow those tags if you want more of it.
- Follow Individual Developers, Not Brands: Ubisoft and EA are giant corporations that change their values based on whichever way the wind blows. Follow specific creative directors whose work you’ve enjoyed in the past.
- Support "Neutral" Content: If you want games that stay out of the culture war, vote with your wallet. Buy the games that focus on pure mechanics and storytelling without the lecture.
Ultimately, the question is this game woke is a proxy for a bigger question: "Is this game made for me?"
In a world where games cost 70 dollars and take 100 hours to finish, it's a fair question to ask. You don't owe any developer your time or money. The best thing you can do is stay informed, look past the shouting matches on X (formerly Twitter), and play what you actually enjoy. The market will eventually follow the money. It always does.
Next Steps for Your Gaming Library:
If you're tired of the discourse, try looking into the "AA" gaming space—mid-budget titles from European or Asian studios. These games often avoid the heavy-handed narrative consulting seen in major AAA Western releases while offering much higher production values than your average indie title. Check out recent releases from Focus Entertainment or Shift Up to see the difference for yourself.