Video games still need better Black hairstyle options
polygon.comVideo games are always moving forward, with improvements in graphical fidelity, expanded maps, and new ideas about gameplay. But character creation has comparatively lagged behind: Options are still pretty limited for creating characters of color, particularly for creating Black characters. And a huge component is a lack of Black hairstyles and textures. A new video essay from Kinda Funny Games host and producer Blessing Adeoye Jr., highlights the limited nature of Black hairstyles in video games — even as video game development leaps forward in other areas.
In “We Need To Fix Black Hair in Video Games,” Adeoye points to the prevalence of afros and cornrows in Black character designs. “Kudos to game devs for actually including cornrows, a hair style that can be dated back over 3,000 years to sub-Saharan Africa” he says. “My one question though, is who is this dude with cornrows that every single video game developer seemingly knows?”
Video game character designs often hew to western beauty standards, erasing the range of Black hairstyles — and often the existence of Black characters at all. This lack of inclusivity is exhausting for players seeking to play an RPG or sim with a character that actually looks like them. It’s just another place in which Black hairstyles are seen as out of place, and is an extension of real life discrimination. Workplaces and schools — among many other places — have codified rules around what type of hair is “appropriate.” It wasn’t until 2022 that Congress passed the Crown Act, banning hair-related discrimination.
Some of last year’s best-selling games, including Elden Ring and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, had limited character creation options, with both limited skin color options and
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