GENDER AGENDA
Battlefield 5 women soldiers controversy continues as game boss defends ‘diversity’ in WW2 shooter
In the face of mounting controversy, the exec says the game's female soldiers aren't going anywhere
BATTLEFIELD 5's creator has waded into the heated debate over the introduction of playable female characters to the upcoming World War II game – and he says the fighting lasses are here to stay.
The epic launch trailer for the latest shooter was derailed by an army of ignoramuses last week who objected to the arrival of women soldiers, which they wrongly claimed was historically inaccurate.
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As a result, the clip currently has a whopping 338,000 dislikes versus 283,000 likes, mainly thanks to a campaign called #Notmybattlefield that's being waged across YouTube, Twitter, and Reddit.
"Women did not fight in WW2 what were the developers thinking," reads a typical comment from a seething keyboard warrior.
Now the general manager of Battlefield 5 studio Dice has decided to address the issue once and for all.
“First, let me be clear about one thing. Player choice and female playable characters are here to stay,” tweeted Oskar Gabrielson to cheers from sane gamers.
He elaborated that diversity is important to the developer and that the female characters represent another type of playable avatar that many fans identify with.
Gabrielson added: “We want Battlefield 5 to represent all those who were a part of the greatest drama in human history, and give players choice to choose and customize the characters they play with.
“Our commitment as a studio is to do everything we can to create games that are inclusive and diverse. We always set out to push boundaries and deliver unexpected experiences. But above all, our games must be fun!”
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As The Sun pointed out at the start of the misjudged furore, the historical accuracy argument in regards to Battlefield 5 is completely off the mark.
Even if we don't take into account the game's super-fast tanks and miraculous takedowns of fighter planes using small rifles, the contention still comes up short.
That's mainly because the active role women soldiers played in WW2 has been documented in photographs.
As the above colourised image from Russian forces illustrate, women were on the front lines of WW2, with around 80,000 serving in the Soviet Armed Forces during the period.
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Whether Gabrielson's defence of his firm's gutsy decision will end this ludicrous debate remains to be seen.
But the tired controversy was really dead on arrival all along.
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