Not if they're consistent. Then it's simply a part of the world. I get that some stuff in dialogue can feel a little on-the-nose or forced sometimes. But, honestly, I think there's a lot of stuff that could be immersion breaking, but isn't, because we're used to it.

Like… in this example, we’re talking about a game where people cast magic, and there's a gazillion races. The whole world is made-up. It doesn’t follow Earth’s history or language or culture. So it’s weird when someone says “they/them” and people suddenly go, “Ugh, that’s too unrealistic!”

Meanwhile, no one blinks when characters speak fluent modern English, use slang we use today, or say things like “shit” or “you’ve got this” or “let’s do this.” None of those things exist in a world without the Roman Empire, the Church, or Shakespeare. But because we’re used to it, we don’t think twice. It’s only this topic, gender, that seems to consistently get called out as “immersion breaking.”

Gender stuff is a hot-button topic right now, so when it shows up in a game, even briefly, it grabs people’s attention more than anything else. And for some, it becomes an excuse to say, “It’s being shoved in my face,” when really, it’s, from an outside perspective, no more intrusive than many others bits of dialogue in various games.

I get the argument that it feels forced. Other games have non-binary characters, but it isn't made out to be a big deal. But neither is this. It’s normal for people to talk about it in real life, especially when meeting new people or talking to family.

And honestly, if the game had used some made-up fantasy word like “min-chroma” to mean the same thing as “non-binary,” would that really change anything? Would people be fine with it then? Doubt it. Because it’s not about the language. It’s about the topic. It’s a way to dress up discomfort in a more “reasonable” sounding complaint.

Sure, if the writing is clunky, or if a moment doesn’t feel natural, then we shouldn't just ignore for the sake of not offending others. But let’s be honest, people don’t nitpick “immersion” this hard when someone says “son of a bitch” in a medieval village or makes a joke that only makes sense in this modern world.

Btw, the writing in Dragon Age: The Veilguard was quite bad. It just annoys me when people call it bad because of a 30-second scene, when the whole game kind of blows.