The Elder Scrolls Online’s first non-binary companion gets the backlash we feared
The Elder Scrolls Online's Tanlorin is making a splash as the game's first non-binary companion, but not everyone is happy with their inclusion.
12th Sep 2024 15:28
Images via ZeniMax Online Studios
The Elder Scrolls Online’s first non-binary companion gets the backlash we feared
The Elder Scrolls Online's Tanlorin is making a splash as the game's first non-binary companion, but not everyone is happy with their inclusion.
12th Sep 2024 15:28
Images via ZeniMax Online Studios
Even a decade after it first released, The Elder Scrolls Online is still finding ways to keep us entertained. While not quite reaching the highs of something like GTA Online, The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the longest-running MMORPGs around and still has around 30 million active players every month.
We're well into the game's landmark 10th year, and part of its relevance is the constant roadmap of updates and DLCs to keep things fresh. Now, The Elder Scrolls Online is due to debut its first non-binary companion later this year.
Tanlorin is The Elder Scrolls Online's first non-binary companion
Coming to The Elder Scrolls Online on October 28 for PC and November 13 for console, Tanlorin is a Dragonknight Altmer voiced by Vico Ortiz. Ortiz is a non-binary drag king who you might've seen as Jim Jimenez in Our Flag Means Death.
Remembering how some tried to boycott Starfield just because it gave you pronoun options, you can imagine how well this has gone down online. Although the Elder Scrolls Online's reveal of Tanlorin doesn't even mention that they're non-binary, the comment section was filled with all the usual backlash we've come to expect.
Chances are, if we didn't know that Tanlorin is non-binary, you would've likely read right past it. Still, one angry gamer wrote, "Pointless virtue signalling. These companies never learn." Another added, "'Themselves' For f**k sake have you idiots learned nothing from Concord's failure?! People don't want shIt like this."
A particularly charged comment reads, "Just vomited in my mouth. Time to stop playing. I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took hormones and became a they/them 😂😂🤢." Thankfully, others praised Tanlorin's inclusion for spreading diversity through the MMORPG world.
One fan cheered, "As a nonbinary player, thank you for this representation! And gently, it would be *themself 🖤." Another concluded, "Really telling that one half of the comments are telling you this is scummy, evil behaviour like you've got them in the non-binary ESO Gulag and forced to use it While the others are people who think this is cool and non-binary people celebrating having someone to relate to 💀💀💀."
A little light reading of Elder Scrolls lore and you might notice that Daedric Princes are typically genderfluid, Tava is nicknamed the "Lady of the Air" but is sometimes referred to with male pronouns, and an Argonian's gender is decided based on how much they lick the Hist tree as adolescents.
It's a little ironic that in a world where you can literally be all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures, a vocal few are losing their mind over the use of the word 'themselves' in a tweet announcing a new companion. At the end of the day, no one is forcing you to play as Tanlorin.
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.
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