Popular RPG video game Dragon Age: The Veilguard won big at the Gayming Awards on July 8, 2025. The show, which is available to stream on WOW Presents Plus, was run by Gayming Magazine and celebrates the accomplishments of LGBTQ+ video games and gamers.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a video game created by BioWare and published by EA (Electronic Arts). The game is the fourth instalment in the Dragon Age franchise and has been lauded for being LGBTQ+ inclusive.
The game follows protagonist Rook, whose gender identity and sexuality are customisable, as they team up with other characters to stop Solas, an antagonist who wants to destroy The Veil, the only thing preventing dangerous creatures from penetrating their world.
Hosted by drag queen and content creator DEERE and content creator Milday Confetti, the Gayming Awards took place on Tuesday, July 8 at The Abbey in West Hollywood, where Dragon Age: The Veilguard took home three special awards.
The first award of the night for Dragon Age was the Best LGBTQ+ Character, which went to the game’s customisable protagonist, Rook.
Gary McKay, the BioWare general manager and Dragon Age: The Veilguard executive producer, said, “This is truly an honour as this award feels deeply meaningful to us as a team.
“I want to thank our talented, dedicated writers, all of the programmers, designers, and artists who made our character creator possible and the four fabulous voice actors who brought Rook to life and everyone who championed our inclusive approach. This award is a testament to your perseverance, talent, and passion.”
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The second award was not directly for Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but rather for voice actor Erika Ishii, who voices Rook. After winning the LGBTQ+ voice actor of the year award, Ishii took the time to acknowledge the situation that the queer community currently faces.
“I would be remiss not to acknowledge that these times are frightening and our community’s rights are under threat,” Ishii said. “But nights like this are important because they remind us what we are fighting for.
“They remind us that we are not alone, that we can gather to openly celebrate queer joy and that these stories are just human stories and that everyone deserves to experience them.
“So thank you so much for this award, and thank you for letting us all be proud together. Trans lives are human lives.”
The final award Dragon Age: The Veilguard won was the exciting Game of the Year award. Gary McKay took to the stage again, saying, “Thank you so much to our fans and everyone at Gayming Magazine, and most importantly, the entire team behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
“We couldn’t have accomplished this without each and every person who contributed to the project. The game reflects the passion, creativity, and unique perspectives of everyone involved, and I’m extremely proud of our work. I’m honoured to share this award with you all.”
Plenty of other LGBTQ+ video games, related content, and gamers got their recognition at the award show, including season two of Arcane: League of Legends for the LGBTQ+ Geek Entertainment of the Year award and The Last of Us Part II Remastered for the Gayming Magazine Readers’ Award. You can check out the rest of the winners here.
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