Developers change description of Batgirl after criticism

The developers release more information about the upcoming “Gotham Knights”. The description of a character has now been adjusted again after the harsh criticism of the fans.

Fans won’t have to wait much longer for the latest game in Gotham City. “Gotham Knights” was originally planned for 2021, but had to be postponed several times. Now the adventure is about Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin to be released on October 25, 2022.

A few months before the release, the developers of WB Games Montréal provide further insights into the history and setting of “Gotham Knights”. However, the description of Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, angered some fans.

Developers backtrack on insensitive description

The game’s official website details Barbara Gordon’s career as Batgirl and Oracle. Barbara, Police Commissioner James Gordon’s daughter, was long known as Batgirl. However, after an encounter with the Joker in the 1988 comic book The Killing Joke, she became paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. From then on she acted under the name Oracle and supported Batman with her sophisticated technology. In the comics, she was cured in later years and was able to return as Batgirl.

Apparently this is also the case in the upcoming “Gotham Knights”. However, according to some fans, the description of the character was unnecessarily insensitive. The bio said that Gordon was spurred on by her father’s death to “recover from her wounds so she can return to active duty as Batgirl.” Some fans have accused WB Games Montréal of using well-worn comic clichés in which the heroes can overcome their disabilities through sheer willpower.

The game’s creative director, Patrick Redding, recently addressed the criticism on the official Gotham Knights Discord. Redding revealed that following the criticism they received, the team partnered with AbleGamers, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving accessibility in the video game industry. In this way, the developers would have learned more about the different types of spinal injuries and the possibilities for regaining mobility.

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“As with many of our characters and plot elements, the circumstances of Barbara’s injuries differ in a number of important ways from how they were portrayed in the comics,” says Redding. “Barbara has [in Gotham Knights] multiple surgeries behind her, followed by a lot of physical therapy and pain management.” Redding went on to explain that the team acknowledged the criticism and replaced the controversial description with the following: “With extensive training and rehabilitation, she recovered from her wounds and returned to active life returned to duty as Batgirl.”

Source: kotaku

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