Obviously there's a surplus of white male protagonists and I completely understand why people are confused why some devs even have to justify making a character a certain way. Personally, I take no issue with whoever the main character is. Good writing and good performances matter most to me. However, having a person or woman of color or a non-binary person or a transgender person adds a distinct flavor to the story without having to alter much of the narrative. I don't think Stig is a bad person nor would I apply more negativity upon the team at Respawn as I feel it would result in a hostile environment.
I won't dictate how the team makes their game but I will say their reasoning behind this was unnecessary. Nothing was stopping them from making a non-white male character, so why do they have to argue for it? I know in forums like these you must justify your position on these matters but developers should realize that the vast majority of people don't care why you made the character the way you did. If people complain about the ethnicity, gender, race, or sexuality of the character, they're often not worth talking to as they wouldn't play the game otherwise and are looking for a reason to instill hate.
Diversity makes all creative mediums better and I support it through and through. While JFO might not add anything of value to the industry in terms of diversity, I still look forward to what Respawn is actively crafting. A Metroid-vania Star Wars game is something I haven't seen in a while. Unfortunately, others will see a too common face on the cover and not think much of the game as a whole, and honestly I don't blame them for it. Sometimes diversity helps a game stand out and makes it an easier sell for a crowd often uncatered to by the industry. However, due to the size of the Star Wars brand, it appears Respawn saw no reason to do that, which is a decision I can also understand while not exactly 100% agree with. Respawn not taking initiative to cater to an often ignored community is certainly a missed opportunity.
But all games are not created equally and thus are multi-faceted in design and artistic integrity. The gameplay, level design, dynamic character interactions, everything shapes a game into what it is. I can absolutely see JFO delivering an exceptional presentation of the Star Wars name to such a precious medium. I sincerely hope critics will laud the game as I entrust Respawn to establish games of commendable quality
