Long-standing Nintendo series ‘Fire Emblem’ will include same-sex marriage in its upcoming iteration, ‘Fire Emblem Fates’.

Nintendo America confirm, “Fire Emblem Fates for Nintendo 3DS, which launches in Japan on June 25, 2015, and is coming to the U.S. and Europe in 2016, includes the possibility for a same-sex marriage to take place between the main character created by the gamer and another character in the game”.

The ‘Fire Emblem’ series uses marriage and partnerships between characters as a game mechanic. Characters can build trust in battle and earn bonuses for fighting alongside others they have built relationships with. Once that relationship gets to a certain level, the coupling can have a child who will be a powerful hybrid of the two parent units, with characteristics of both. This mechanic was exclusive to male/female pairings until now.

“We believe that our gameplay experiences should reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate and, at the same time, we will always design the game specifications of each title by considering a variety of factors, such as the game’s scenario and the nature of the game play. In the end of course, the game should be fun to play.”

Nintendo has had a prior aversion to including homosexual relationships in their games, removing same-sex male relationships from the Japanese release of ‘Tomodachi Life’, which were only made available in the first place by mistake.

Fire Emblem Fates will be released for Nintendo 3DS early next year.

Leigh Hill