Misogyny In The Gaming Community: Why So Many Men Expect Fan Service In Every Game They Play

In various gaming communities, it has often been observed that male gamers express displeasure when female characters lack a sexual or attractive appeal. This discussion aims to delve into the reasoning behind the belief among many males that their preferences should always be prioritized in the games they engage with.

Some guys are upset when female characters aren’t designed to be sexy or appealing in video games, and we want to understand why they feel entitled to have their tastes catered to in every game they play.

Examples Of Men Expecting Fan Service In Games

To ensure there’s no misunderstanding about the existence of this phenomenon, let’s first present some examples showing how certain male gamers anticipate special treatment across different games. Once we’ve done that, we can move on to our main discussion.

Horizon Zero Dawn

When Aloy was unveiled as the protagonist of this game, some segments of the male gaming community voiced their displeasure, claiming she wasn’t appealing enough and deemed it a ‘woken’ decision.

Here are some anonymized posts about this character, from different platforms:

“Why is aloys character model so ugly?” – Post found on Reddit

“Aloy’s ugliness explained by Horizon director” – Post found on GameFAQs

“aloy is ugly af, can someone make a mod to make her hot like in hzd plz” – Post found in Horizon Forbidden West’s community forum on Steam

In a post-apocalyptic setting, it seems unlikely for her to concern herself with female beauty standards, given her role as a hunter. One might reason that she has more pressing matters to attend to instead. After all, many people who see themselves as logical or rational often associate such traits with prioritizing practicality over aesthetics, so wouldn’t it make sense for the protagonist in this world to focus on survival rather than appearance?

The Witcher IV

When the trailer for “The Witcher IV” was released, some male gamers expressed their dissatisfaction in several ways. Firstly, they were unhappy that the new main character is female, although she assumed the role of a Witcher at the end of the third installment and Geralt’s story had concluded. Secondly, they criticized Ciri for not being considered attractive enough by some, once more labeling the game as progressive or “woke.

Here are anonymized posts about this topic:

“CDPR managed to make Ciri ugly. Witcher 4 is cooked.” – Post found on X

The Witcher 4 Trailer Gets MOCKED For Uglifying Ciri!! Geralt Gets PUSHED To The Side!! – Post found on YouTube

Ciri from The Witcher 4: Is She Really That Ugly? – Post found on YouTube

It’s possible that others might claim Geralt is sexualized, but isn’t he judged differently? After all, Geralt is depicted as old and scarred, while Ciri is not, yet she receives criticism for being too unattractive to be a main character. It’s hard not to think about the uproar a female character from The Witcher who looks like Geralt would cause.

The Last Of Us

A significant number of male gamers have expressed discontent with Ellie, the underage protagonist from The Last of Us, being deemed unattractive, whether in the video games or the HBO series. This raises an intriguing point: Why is it expected for a fictional teenage girl in a post-apocalyptic setting (or any female character) to be attractive?

Here are posts about the video game:

Why is Ellie so ugly in TLOU 2? – Post found on GameFAQs

Abby is the most ugly character. In the history of all video games. Both within and out. Change my mind – Post found in The Last of Us™ Part I community forum on Steam

Here are posts about the HBO show where Ellie is played by Bella Ramsey:

Anyone else think Ellie from the HBO Last of US is distractingly ugly? Show is great but my god that girl’s face just isn’t made for movies. – Post found on Reddit

Why Is It Every Young Female Lead Of The Show I’d Attractive But Ellie Looks Like A Bug Eyed Abomination – Post found on Reddit.

It seems as though they’re overlooking the fact that they’re still discussing a real person, regardless of whether she resembles a video game character or not. This unfortunate situation led Bella Ramsay to deactivate her social media accounts due to the excessive bullying she endured regarding her looks.

Bella Ramsey chose to deactivate her social media accounts due to persistent criticism about her portrayal of Ellie in The Last of Us on HBO. She had always anticipated this step and even initially wasn’t keen on having a social media presence at all. Now, she mainly avoids platforms like Twitter and Reddit.
— DomTheBomb (@DomTheBombYT) April 23, 2025

No Mercy

Lately, a game featuring female characters for physical attack has been taken down from Steam, and one of our team members at EarlyGame penned an insightful piece on the subject.

The comments beneath this article seem to express regret rather than disgust. They express sadness over the removal of the game, and some even provide links where they claim the game can still be found for download (it’s important to remember that we haven’t verified these links and advise against clicking on suspicious links).

The comments under an Instagram post about the game’s removal look similar:

Ok nice advertisement. I’m gonna download the game rn

So how can I download the game now ?

No shit Sherlock!!! What are you expecting from a goon game…. The game is to satisfy carnal impulses and all most of the goon are around this category of course there are others too but mostly the games are based on taboo topics

This statement doesn’t imply that every male gamer supports this game, but rather, we struggled to find negative comments from accounts that appeared to be male, while there were numerous positive ones. This raises questions such as “Why are men defending this game so much more outspoken compared to those criticizing it?” and “Do even the disapproving males not feel strongly enough to voice their criticism?

Why Is This A Problem?

It’s perfectly fine to admire appealing female characters, and it’s equally acceptable for women to portray such roles. We’re not generalizing all men as having these thoughts or behaviors.

It’s important to highlight that a significant number of men seem to demand that all female characters in video games be appealing, labeling the game as “woke trash” or even boycotting it if they don’t meet their standards (of attractiveness). At the same time, they find it perfectly acceptable when the protagonists are less attractive males.

The issue lies in the assumption that men represent the default or typical human and that all female characters should conform to male desires, a mindset that grants undue privilege and entitlement. This is often unconscious, but when people picture “human,” they tend to imagine an adult male.

If men felt they were being unfairly treated if their favorite games featured non-sexualized female characters when the previous five parts had starred non-sexualized male characters, it’s worth noting that the other 50% of the population might also desire representation. It’s essential to remember that one half of the human population should not expect more than half the representation.

Instead of predominantly portraying male game characters as physically fit while criticizing the appearance of female protagonists, it might be more accurate to say that both genders have strong, diverse character designs. While male characters often transcend conventional beauty standards by being depicted as middle-aged or scarred without being labeled as unattractive, female characters also embody a broad range of physical appearances, from fit to less traditionally attractive, and yet still command respect and admiration in the gaming world.

Why Do So Many Male Gamers Feel Entitled To This Behavior?

As a gamer myself, I’ve noticed that for ages, the gaming world has been marketed as a male-dominated space, even targeting boys from an early age. Regrettably, it appears that environments geared towards men often draw in numerous individuals who feel emboldened to express their misogyny within these online communities.

These male-oriented subreddits like r/MensRights, r/AskMen, r/AskMenAdvice, and r/AskMenOver30 often appear to be either overflowing with overt sexism or heavily moderated to prevent such misogynistic content due to the high volume of attempts by users to post it.

It’s possible to investigate accounts of harrowing encounters women have faced in fields with mostly male students – instances of being undermined, accused unfairly, and so on. Such experiences have become so common that many women express reluctance towards studying these subjects due to the predominantly male student body. This apprehension sometimes leads certain men to argue that women avoid these subjects because they are inferior in them.

In the gaming world too, it’s a historical fact that it has primarily catered to males, which unfortunately can lead some men to feel they have a right to behave misogynistically. They may feel emboldened by the support of other like-minded individuals.

This spans from criticisms of female characters being deemed “unattractive” to outright harassment towards players thought to be women – for instance, my partner endeavored to create a character in Monster Hunter that resembled me and is now persistently pursued, ogled at or even bombarded with messages by male gamers.

Additionally, such actions have harmful effects on men too, unfortunately. However, the burden of protecting themselves should not fall solely on women, who may be subjected to dismissal or disbelief regarding their encounters with misogyny and potentially compromising their own safety in the process of providing emotional support for men.

Rather than remaining indifferent or merely voicing complaints, men should actively challenge such behavior in other men. Instead of perceiving themselves as constantly under threat, they could channel their energy towards persuading more men to cease such actions.

When this behavior is no longer prevalent (understanding that not everyone can be swayed instantly), women will likely feel less uneasy around males, femininity won’t carry a stigma or be seen as embarrassing, and men will cease to be perceived as potential threats or weak for expressing their emotions or prioritizing mental wellness. However, it’s important to remember that it is not women’s responsibility to rectify issues arising from other men’s actions.

Have you ever encountered situations similar to these within the gaming community? What do you believe could be potential solutions?

2. To provide a more natural and easy-to-read version, consider using contractions and active voice:

Have you come across experiences like these in the gaming community? What do you think would solve these issues?

2025-04-25 17:41