Pride Month is here, and plenty of our favorite video games (and consoles) are joining in the celebration of their LGBTQ+ players, developers, characters, and fans throughout June. Whether it’s through events, updates, or in-game cosmetic items, these are the games which have announced Pride 2023 celebrations so far, with details on how you can get involved.
Video games celebrating Pride Month 2023
Dead by Daylight
© Behaviour
Whether you're feeling for your life or tracking down prey, you can celebrate pride in Dead by Daylight. This year Developer Behaviour Interactive hosted a lengthy charity livestream raising money for It Gets Better. As usual, a selection of Pride flags can be obtained by redeeming codes within the game's shop. Here's what you'll need to enter for each:
- Glance of Pride Charm: KINDRD
- Feathers of Pride Charm: CAWCAW
- Pride Charm: PRIDE
- Bisexual Flag: FLAGB
- Pansexual Flag: FLAGP
- Asexual Flag: AFLAGS
- Agender Flag: AFLAGG
- Genderfluid Flag: GFLAGF
- Genderqueer Flag: GFLAGQ
- Non-binary Flag: NBFLAG
- Intersex Flag: ISFLAG
- Trans Flag: FLAGT
Destiny 2
© Bungie
Bungie is celebrating Pride 2023 by offering a pride emblem titled The Infinite Prismatic to anyone who donates $10 to the Bungie Foundation in June. During the month, all donations will support the non-profit organization It Gets Better. Further Pride updates are expected throughout the month.
Everquest II
© Darkpaw
Darkpaw games is letting its LGBTQ+ players celebrate with a selection of free pride familiars. Head to the market and you can collect Mithaniel's Aceheart Lion, Mithaniel's Freeheart Lion, and Mithaniel's Openheart Lion until midnight PDT on July 9th.
Halo Infinite
For #PrideMonth we celebrate with our LGBTQIA+ Spartans near and far. Halo is a place where everyone can be themselves and we strive for unity and inclusion for all
— Halo (@Halo) June 1, 2023
Celebrate with the Unity nameplate & emblem by logging into Halo Infinite this month and wear it with PRIDE pic.twitter.com/0WFJfRj7BJ
Players who log into Halo Infinite during June will receive the Unity Nameplate and emblem. The emblem features a hand with love hearts above it, and the nameplay shows two hands making a heart shape.
League of Legends
League of Legends has added two new pride emotes (Flex and Light 'Em Up) and is bringing back all of those from 2022. They're unlockable through missions available during June. League players can also collect Pengu pride icons in 2023 for 1 Blue Essence each. There are eight in total, and each of them creates a homeguard trail in the equivalent pride flag colors. Equip any of the icons and you can also alter your profile background to the Runeterra Pride art. Here's what you need to do to earn those emotes:
- The Pride of Nazumah
- As a team, slay four Epic Monsters or earn 750 points from time spent playing and winning games
- Reward: Flex Emote
- The Pride of Piltover
- Play as a premade group of two+ or earn 750 points from time spent playing and winning games
- Reward: Light 'Em Up Emote
Legends of Runeterra
© Riot
For Pride 2023, Legends of Runeterra is offering a Pride bundle for free! It includes a emotes and pride icons, all of which you can grab for free until June 28th. New to the pack this year is the Nami Pride emote which shows her flicking her hair.
Team Fight Tactics
Teamfight Tactics sees the return of Pride booms this month and adds a new Pride emote. To get the new emote, you'll need to play two games of TFT standard queue or one game of Double Up! before June 30th. Equip the pride icons and you'll gain a pride trail for the carousel.
Wild Rift
© Riot
Much like last year, Wild Rift is bringing back its Pride Poro icons and emotes, but this time they're joined by two new icons and a Graves emote. You'll need to complete two missions to access everything:
- We Win Together
- Play one game
- Reward: Homeguard Trail and Pride Icon bundle (if not already owned)
- United We Play
- Play 10 games with either a Pride icon or the homeguard trail equipped
- Reward: Pride Emote Bundle, 2021 Pride Emote, 2022 Pride Emote, 2023 Pride Emote
Valorant
© Riot
Valorant is once again offering a bundle of Pride banners to claim within Valorant, available within the game’s store. Along with the Pride gun buddy, there are banner cards for Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Pansexual, Ace, Non-binary, and Trans Pride. Simply head to the in-game store during June and you can pick up the bundles for free.
Overwatch 2
© Blizzard
The first Pride event for Overwatch 2 includes things to enjoy in-game and out. Blizzard has an extensive blog post breaking down all the pride activities for the hero shooter sequel, but we'll summarize the key information here. First up is a short story about Baptiste and Pharah which you can read here.
Paired with that are new Name Cards dedicated to the LGBTQ+ heroes in Overwatch's roster. Pharah and Tracer get lesbian cards, Soldier 76 gets a gay card, Lifeweaver gets a pansexual card, and Baptiste gets a bisexual card. These are joined by a wide range of Pride Player Icons and Name Cards, all of which will be added to all current and future Overwatch 2 accounts.
© Blizzard
Maps have been updated too, with Midtown now set just after a Pride parade for the month of June. Watchpoint: Gibraltar has also been updated with a photo in the barracks of Tracer and her partner Emily. A selection of Pride-themed clothing has also been added to the Blizzard Gear Store, with net proceeds until June 30 being donated to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE).
Itch.io's Queer Games Bundle 2023
Queer Games Bundle 2023 is live now!
— Queer Games Bundle (@QueerGameBundle) June 1, 2023
Over 450 games, tabletop games, books, zines, albums, and art, from nearly 300 queer creators -- all for just $60, the price of one AAA game.https://t.co/zapjzpKBRc#queergamesbundle pic.twitter.com/fQJwpX4j9r
The Queer Games Bundle returns again on itch.io, and it’s packing a ludicrous number of games as usual. Available throughout June, the Queer Games Bundle 2023 features more than 450 games, tabletop RPGs, comics, books, and more from LGBTQ+ creators. How much will all that cost you? Just $60, which is less than most AAA games these days. That'll net you some phenomenally titled games, including Homunculus Hotel, Ladykiller in a Bind, and Two Men Go On A Date And Don't Fall In Love. Buyers should take note that there are several 18+ games included in the collection, though you can pick and choose which titles you want to download and play. Pick up the Queer Games Bundle 2023 here.
Xbox
© Xbox
For 2023, Xbox Game Studios has announced a new partnership with GLAAD to bring more LGBTQIA+ stories and characters to Xbox and make it as welcoming a platform as possible. There are also two curated bundles of games to browse through on the Xbox store: One for transgender and non-binary community games; and one for LGBTQIA+ community games.
Those are all the video games celebrating Pride Month 2023 that we’ve seen so far, but we’ll aim to update this list as more companies announce festivities available in their universes. If you know of any that we've missed, share them in the comments section below!
