Destiny 2 features a diverse range of NPCs, each more different than the last. A published insider report on IGN has now revealed that a specific NPC was adjusted to market the game in China and Russia.
What happened? On the US IGN site, a journalist spoke with 26 current or former Bungie employees about internal processes. This is a multi-page insider report that brings to light many issues Bungie employees have experienced.
One of these issues was not directly related to a staff member but to an NPC. It concerns Devrim Kay, the vendor and tea-drinking hero from the EDZ. Those who listen to him closely will realize that he has feelings for a same-sex partner.
He spoke of a Marc that he misses dearly. However, the passage had a different wording before release and was modified prior to the launch.
Statement about same-sex partner was declared a bug
What was different? The story team dealt with many characters from the “Destiny 2” universe, one of them being Devrim. Even before the release of Destiny 2, some voice actors recorded lines for NPCs.
During this, it was also stated that Devrim missed his partner. Approved through various reviews and edits, this passage was then included in an internal playable version of Destiny 2, until someone from the upper management caught wind of it. They requested that this line be removed.
They declared the spoken part as a bug and assigned it to a QA tester to address the issue. This led to significant outrage within the company.
What was the justification? The management explained to employees that they cannot export versions of Destiny 2 to China and Russia that contain such passages. This could not be reconciled with the strict views of the respective cultures.
Thus, the team changed the term “partner” to a specific name “Marc”. This made it unclear whether he meant his partner or merely a brother or a pet companion.
How does it look now? Some things have changed and equality now plays a larger role at Bungie. The best example is the 14th Saint and Osiris, who openly maintain a same-sex relationship. This has neither been hidden nor obscured, but clearly and openly stated.
Additionally, Destiny 2 also promotes Pride gear and sells it openly in their online shop.
What do you think about it today? Do you believe Bungie has turned the corner and is on the right path? Let us know in the comments how you feel about it.
