Burning Shores is the latest DLC for Horizon: Forbidden West, exclusively available on PlayStation 5. Developed by Guerilla Games, it serves as their most ambitious project yet. The DLC, released on April 19, followed Aloy on her journey back to the ruins of Los Angeles.
Unfortunately, Burning Shores became the subject of controversy, and Julie Elven, the soundtrack vocalist for the DLC, disclosed that she had been subjected to harassment and numerous hate messages from gamers, an ordeal that continues even after the DLC’s release.
Why It Matters: The inclusion of LGBT content in video games has been met with similar outrage in the past. Games such as The Last of Us Part 2 have also faced harassment for featuring LGBT characters.
Since #HorizonForbiddenWest #BurningShores came out in April, I've continuously received angry DMs from gamers, as my vocals are featured on a scene in the DLC that they see as "LGBTQ propaganda". Receiving puking emojis, "God won't forgive you", "You destroyed Horizon" & more.
— Julie Elven 🎶 (@JulieElvenMusic) May 15, 2023
Later down in the DLC, it was revealed that Aloy, the protagonist of the game, is gay, leading to users review bombing the DLC on Metacritic and other sites.
The soundtrack vocalist has been consistently receiving hate responses from gamers due to her vocals being featured in a scene that some perceive as ‘LGBT propaganda.’ However, the vocalist also stated that the negativity is overshadowed by the positive comments she has received.
She further elaborated that her tweets do not refer to messages where people offer criticism about the DLC. Instead, she is bothered by the hateful approach from various users.
Nonetheless, the negative response to this DLC is unlikely to make a difference to the Horizon franchise. Guerrilla Games recently revealed Horizon Forbidden West had sold over 8 million copies, with multiple future projects planned in the Horizon universe.
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