Battlefield 2042 launches on November 19 and we’ve already met a few of the playable specialists. There are all the usual suspects for a game about waging large-scale warfare — lots of men with chiselled jaws and hard stares, as well as a few women. But the game also features the series’ first ever non-binary character: Emma “Sundance” Rosier.
Sundance’s bio uses they/them pronouns, and one fan asked on Twitter whether that means the character is non-binary. Adam Freeman, the Lead Community Manager at EA Studios, confirmed in a reply: “Yep. Sundance is non-binary and uses the pronouns they/them.”
Yep. Sundance is non-binary and uses the Pronouns They/Them.
Fans are celebrating the significance of having a non-binary character in such a popular game. After all, a lot of gamers are, famously, not great at accepting female, non-binary, or queer playable characters. And while there are a few comments whinging about the news, most players are instead sharing their excitement for the character.
“As soon as I saw Sundance in the gameplay trailer I knew I would love them and now finding out they’re non binary too? Legitimately makes me happy,” wrote @ClayMazo.
But Sundance’s pronouns aren’t the most important aspect of their character. They’re an explosions specialist who deploys scatter grenades and micro-drones on the battlefield, and wears a wingsuit that lets you glide across parts of the map to approach objectives and firefights from unique angles.
“Sundance definitely likes to live on the edge,” reads their bio. “They’re a skilled and fearless adversary that’s had two very different lives – one as a model soldier in the Armée de Terre, and an earlier and much darker existence as a trusted associate in a major Parisian crime syndicate. The latter, sadly, came back to haunt them and ended their military career pre-maturely.”
They’ll be a popular choice for players who love dealing damage in large areas and from a distance.
It’s a small step forward in the right direction, but at least it’s a sign that the Battlefield 2042 devs understand who plays their games and want them to feel seen.
