The Rise of LGBTQ+ Censorship in Games and What We Can Do About It
Out Making Games, of which JDA’s James Dodd is a Director, today announced the release of Trapped in the Network, a new report commissioned by the organisation and authored by Video Games Industry Memo. The report provides a comprehensive examination of the escalating censorship of LGBTQ+ content within video games across the globe, and sets out a clear framework for how the industry can respond.
The report traces the history of digital censorship, examining how increasingly porous approaches to content regulation have fostered widespread self-censorship — achieved through three key mechanisms: generating fear of retribution, creating friction when accessing content, and flooding public discourse with supportive narratives to control the conversation.
Trapped in the Network explores why LGBTQ+ communities have historically been a common target for state-sponsored oppression, and how this has made LGBTQ+ video game content a specific focus for censorship — a trend accelerated by the mainstream success of titles such as The Last of Us and Baldur's Gate 3, which challenged long-held assumptions about who plays games and what stories they want to tell.
The report examines the practical mechanisms through which LGBTQ+ censorship operates in games: from state frameworks of fear and platform-level friction as the frontline of enforcement, to institutional self-censorship and the organised harassment of creators. It also addresses the "contagion" effect, whereby censorship originating in jurisdictions with strict laws spreads across the wider games industry due to its inherently global and digital nature.
Crucially, Trapped in the Network does not stop at diagnosis. It sets out actionable recommendations for how the industry can push back — including changes to public policy, stronger platform moderation, support for businesses to resist self-censorship, and concrete steps to protect and celebrate LGBTQ+ players and communities.
"We hope this report helps the industry, and the community within it, find the confidence to act,” Directors, Out Making Games.
The full report is available to download now HERE.
Please note: The report contains references to experiences affecting minority and marginalised communities. Reader discretion is advised.
About Out Making Games: Out Making Games (OMG) is a non-profit organization empowering LGBTQ+ professionals within the games industry. We strive to create a more inclusive and diverse gaming landscape through programs, partnerships, events, education and advocacy, fostering a community where everyone’s identity is celebrated and their contributions are valued.
About Video Games Industry Memo: Video Games Industry Memo (VGIM) is a newsletter dedicated to the power and politics that underpins video games. Every week, VGIM subscribers receive an email every Thursday which explores a topic shaping the power behind games, the news stories moving the industry and all the quick links you need to stay across the global games industry.