Kill the Justice League caught in new ‘woke’ row over LGBTQ+ inclusion
Rocksteady Studios is once again in the crossfire, as the gender-flipped Mrs. Freeze has confirmed she's a lesbian and is facing the wrath of fans over accusations the game is 'woke.'
18th Jul 2024 14:52
Images via Rocksteady Studios
Kill the Justice League caught in new ‘woke’ row over LGBTQ+ inclusion
Rocksteady Studios is once again in the crossfire, as the gender-flipped Mrs. Freeze has confirmed she's a lesbian and is facing the wrath of fans over accusations the game is 'woke.'
18th Jul 2024 14:52
Images via Rocksteady Studios
At this point, it seems that Rocksteady Studios can't seem to catch a break with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. After building up an impressive legacy with its Arkham Trilogy, it sadly seems all that hard work is being undone by Kill the Justice League. Planting one of Amanda Waller's bombs in its head and threatening to press the red button.
While complaints about Kill the Justice League being a Destiny-inspired looter shooter rather than a stealth action game like the rest of the Arkham games are fair, angry grumbles that the 2024 game is 'woke' are overshadowing some genuine gripes. As we head into Season 2, things are going from bad to worse.
Kill the Justice League's Mrs. Freeze is coming out of the closet
Given the polarising reception to Harley Quinn's big moment in the main story, Rocksteady should've seen this coming. We already covered how Season 2 was getting a 'frosty' reception thanks to the inclusion of a gender-flipped Mr. Freeze, and with the haters out for blood, the latest announcement has gone down as well as expected.
With KTJL Season 2 going live on July 25, Rocksteady is keen to try and lure players back following the disaster of the Joker-themed Season 1. Unfortunately, a throwaway line in a recent blog post has only fanned the flames of hate. Mrs. Freeze is canonically LGBTQ+, and while that shouldn't matter in 2024, the critics are lapping it up.
The description of Victoria Fries explains how she's "an ice-cold, self-sufficient survivalist" who has to sit back and watch her world turn to ice as Braniac's forces invaded. There's a mention of having to "leave her cryogenically frozen wife behind," which is a spin on Mr. Freeze's backstory and role in the previous Arkham games.
When Bounding Into Comics shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), the comments turned into a dumpster fire that threaten to melt even the icy Mrs. Freeze. One grumbled, "Oh, my God! What a surprise! - said nobody," while another added, "Just trying to dig the hole further."
One particularly vocal critic concluded, "And how is confirmation that a character is a lesbian in any way relevant to the story or franchise, and they say it's not agenda, when I announce my game and say every character is straight, does that not announce my intention of the game, to focus on straightness."
Narrative consultant company Sweet Baby Inc. has borne the brunt of Kill the Justice League's hatred, and while the Mrs. Freeze twist is a clever one, both Sweet Baby and Rocksteady have been fighting a losing battle against the game's harshest critics.
The inclusion of LGBTQ+ characters in video games is clearly still an issue for some, with everything from Hogwarts Legacy to Hades, The Last of Us Part II to Final Fantasy XVI having to defend these choices. No matter what you did with Kill the Justice League, chances are there was always someone who was going to complain.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
