Trans Players Call for ‘Forza Horizon 5’ Automated Name Recognition
Many trans gamers raised concerns about Forza Horizon‘s automatic name recognition. Playground Games’ open-world racer will automatically grab your name from Microsoft so it can greet your as you start the game. It’s a nice little feature that will help you immerse yourself in a beautiful and immersive world. It’s leaving trans people out in the cold.
TheGamer talked with trans players who were shocked to hear Forza horizon 5 call them by their deadname, the name they left behind during their transition. Although Playground Games was not aware of the issue, it is a common oversight. You can only change your name after you have completed a few sections.
Melody said that it was “stupid and jarring”. There are a few things you need to do before you can change the menu. Although I’m not very familiar with the menus, I found that a lot the customization is separate from the menu options. This meant I spent a lot more time looking for it elsewhere.
As a new player, it was possible to select my name from a large list of prerecorded names and my preferred pronouns at the beginning of the game. Many returning players are not afforded this option. They are given an automatically chosen name. It can be a frustrating experience if the name you choose is not one that you recognize.
Another anonymous player stated that she was “very shocked”. I enjoyed the intro sequence and had a lot fun. But, hearing the announcer call my name completely blindsided me. I quit the game right away and was almost ready to refund it on Steam.
“It’s really disappointing that they have messed with something so fundamental, but vital to the enjoyment of many people’s game.”
Playground Games offers a wide range of accessibility and inclusion options in Forza H5. It’s a real shame that some Arabic names are automatically banned. We hope it can be fixed soon so that all can get back to racing.
