Here's how Dragon Age: The Veilguard handles transgender and nonbinary options.

Dragon Age: Veilguard is releasing soon and we've all been playing it. We've heard a variety of opinions, from sneering to our Dragon Age review score of 79. That's not bad for a game that has so many expectations riding on it. You might have noticed some disjointed screenshots that discuss the transgender and non-binary choices available in the game if you've been following all the buzz and response.

I'm here today to clear up any confusion and shed some light, as I've played the game for 41 hours, focusing on these options. I can tell you they're not a big deal, if you choose not to use them. Here's a breakdown of how they work.

In a move I find pretty cool for roleplay, your identity and pronouns can be completely separated on character creation. I say "nice for roleplay purposes", because I wanted to see how my character would react to using only one set of pronouns but having a nonbinary view of him.

The main thing I want to clarify is that, contrary to some rumours, these pronouns options or the "top-scar" customisation option will not make your character transgender. These things do not impact your character's personality at all, other than the words they use to describe them.

It's handled in an early-game cutscene. When Rook is setting up their digs, they will interact with a mirror (not to be confused with Varric's standing mirror, which allows you to alter your appearance). During the dialogue, you will be given a choice of options. Some of these options will lock in your character’s trans or nonbinary identity regardless of what options you selected at character creation. The options are clearly and coherently displayed on the wheel so you won't accidentally select one.

While I have some minor quibbles with the way this game handles gender in a fantasy storyline, I think this system is a good one as a whole. It avoids the awkward problem that ties gender identity to an "trans or not trans" switch when creating characters, allows players to get granular about how their characters see themselves, and - in what I believe is a first of this sort--allows them to make a trans or nonbinary character and decide to treat it as a minor footnote if they choose. Good stuff.

What can you expect if this is the option that you choose? Not much. As a nonbinary Rook I've had the opportunity to have my character discuss his gender whenever it comes up, which it does. I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free and as honest as possible, but there are plot moments and character moments which handle the topic much like Inquisition. In the 40+ hours I played, I was given the option to choose twice. It's also clearly marked.

You can be trans in The Veilguard. No, the character creation options do not determine whether you're trans or not. Yes, this is something that comes up. The game won't surprise you or make a big fuss about it. You can't accidentally make your character transgender unless you aren't reading text in an RPG. Even though I've been focusing on the options, the game still hasn't made it a priority unless I sat down and asked.