Apex Legends released in 2019, but still has a pretty dedicated fanbase. Created by Respawn Entertainment and published by EA, Apex Legends is a free-to-play battle royale style game. It’s got a pretty standard setup with each season introducing a new Legend that players can unlock and play. There are also exclusive skins and outfits for each Legend that players can accumulate as they continue playing the game. Though it’s got a general setup very similar to other battle royale games, Apex Legends sets itself apart in a few different ways. These differences are focused on representation, making it a perfect candidate to play during Women’s History Month.
In comparison to other multiplayer competitors like Fortnite, Apex Legends has already made some strides in diversity and representation that Overwatch hasn’t accomplished yet. Overwatch came out in 2015, yet it still doesn’t have a Black female playable character. While there are some Apex Legends characters that can only be played once they’ve been unlocked, there are others in the starting roster that also add diversity to the game. Apex Legends sets itself apart because of its diverse representation of women and its focus on including women who are members of other minority groups as well.
Representation in games has always been important, but it’s only in recent years that video games have caught on to the idea. It’s important for players of a game to be able to see themselves in the game, especially when represented correctly. When diversity feels like something chosen from the start and not shoehorned in to appeal to players, it’s a better gaming experience for everyone involved. Apex Legends is a game that seems to have thought about diversity from the start.
In the base game, players have the option of 3 different women when they play. Wraith and Bangalore are offensive choices, while Lifeline is a support character that helps heal other players. While 3 may not seem like a big number, the starting roster only has 6 characters total (8 if counting the locked Caustic and Mirage). Either way, that effectively means half of the starting options of Apex Legends are women, and a diverse cast of women at that. Bangalore and Lifeline are both Black women, which is important to see represented in a video game.
Other women were eventually added to Apex Legends, but players have to unlock them like any Legend. Horizon, Loba, Rampart, and Wattson are all unlockable female characters. Loba and Rampart are both People of Color (POC), with Loba being of Brazilian descent and Rampart being British Indian. Many players had theories about Wattson having ADHD or Autism, and it was later confirmed by the Apex Legends developer that Wattson is on the spectrum.
While lore doesn’t necessarily factor into gameplay, rich backstories help players get a sense of who each character is. Having characters who represent the diversity found in the world is great for members of the community as well as those who like having representation in games. Specifically in regards to Wattson, ADHD and Autism are severely underdiagnosed in women, which makes it even more crucial to have characters like this in video games.
Every Apex Legends character has their own set of skills and powers. Players have the choice of offensive, defensive, support, or recon Legends to suit whichever playstyle they feel most comfortable in. One common pushback against having women in lead video game roles is because many people wrongly assume that women are not as powerful or strong as men. Apex Legends makes sure players know this isn’t true, as each woman has specific strengths that make them an excellent in-game choice.
Another common issue when women are featured in video games is oversexualization of the character. Even the strongest of women, like Lara Croft and Chun-Li, are regarded as sex symbols before acknowledging their power or influence on video games. Apex Legends has skins for each woman that have interesting designs without being overly sexual or downplaying how powerful they truly are. Each female character isn’t strong despite being a woman, either, which is another unfortunately common occurrence in video game media.
Each Apex Legends woman presents differently based on their personality, which is an important distinction from other female video game characters. Sometimes in video games, “strong women” will adapt to more traditionally masculine behaviors instead of just being a woman who is strong. Apex Legends fights against this notion by giving their female characters outfits and personalities that fit their character rather than sexualizing them or making them more masculine. For example, Loba’s outfit fits into the setting of Apex Legends and provides ample covering while maintaining her own personal flair with gold accents and painted nails.
The women of Apex Legends also have a wide age range. Rampart is the youngest Legend at 21 years old, but that doesn’t make her defense abilities any less powerful than the other defensive options. Bangalore would be the oldest on the roster at 38, but Horizon is technically 88 years older than her reported age of 37, so it’s kind of a toss up. Regardless, age never factors into how well any of these women perform their duties. Additionally, they are powerful women, not powerful because they’re women or powerful despite their status as a woman.
Women’s History Month is a time to look back on how far women have come, but also to look toward the future. There’s a lot of work to be done until true equality and equity is reached, both in the video game industry and outside of it. If any battle royale style players are looking for a new game to invest in, Apex Legends is a fantastic choice. It made diversity a priority, not a footnote, and its characters and lore showcase that firsthand.
Apex Legends is available now for Switch, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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