World of Warcraft Shadowlands Customization Options rock. When Blizzard Entertainment announced the new options the excitement rippled through the fandom. As a person of color, I was excited and skeptical about the changes. There’s so much that can go wrong with stuff like this, especially because the WoW fandom has toxic members within the community. Trade chat is an obvious cesspool of drama filled with racist, sexist and homophobic remarks.
Despite the toxicity within the WoW community, the new Shadowlands customization options have been well received. I’ve been playing my new hunter for a few days. So far no one has said anything racist to me, but I also haven’t participated in group content. Mostly I’ve been questing and enjoying the new leveling experience. Racism is something I’m no stranger to, especially within WoW. I’ve played WoW for twelve years.
Well, the recent election results in the US have demonstrated that society is tired of racism. We’re finally becoming a little more accepting. Let’s discuss the Shadowlands customization options and how they reflect the world today.
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World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Customization Options
My Experiences With Racism In WoW
Racism is a sickness which prevails throughout society. So it’s not only an issue within the WoW community. During my time as a WoW player, I’ve spent countless days in tears due to racism that I experienced.
Normally, I don’t announce my race while playing the game. Usually what occurs is someone in trade chat or a member of a dungeon/LFR group begins ranting about African Americans. It’s like they assume none of us play the game. Honestly, they probably don’t care if they hurt our feelings. Their racist rant is enough for me to know that I’m viewed as less than human.
My enjoyment of World of Warcraft isn’t tied to other players’ behavior. Certainly, they can make the experience tiring. Yet, I’ve played WoW for so many years because I enjoy the story. The world of Azeroth is beautiful and fascinating. I’m intrigued by the games heroes, and disgusted by its villains. So I’m in it for the long haul.
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My Experiences With Racism In WoW Continued
The Shadowlands customization options are great. Hopefully, I don’t experience any problems. Let me share one of my experiences within the game.
Many years ago I was playing with a friend of mine. He was African American like me. Well, we queued in the dungeon finder. We had a fantastic time running old school dungeons. I vividly remember us being in Scarlet Monastery when we ran into trouble.
Our tank was having a rough day. He began spewing hatred about African Americans during the dungeon run. The group had died a few times, but none of us had declared our race. My friend got angry. He and the tank argued back and forth. The tank kept using the N-word and other derogative languages. Eventually, my friend angrily left the group.
I was sad. Honestly, I’d been having a great time until we ran into the racist tank. No other person in the group spoke against the tank’s rant. So either they agreed with his hateful rhetoric, or they didn’t want to get involved.
My Experiences With Racism Outside Of WoW
Despite how awesome the Shadowlands customization options are real-life is complicated. Players complain on the WoW forums, Reddit, trade chat, and other social media channels. One of the main arguments against the customization options is that WoW is a fantasy game. Those players complained that they play WoW to “Get away from all that crap”.
In their opinion, the game shouldn’t reflect real life because they’d rather WoW remain an escape. Some have even insulted people of color by stating if your self-worth is determined by how your online avatar looks then they pity you.
The irony in these statements astounds me. World of Warcraft is definitely an escape, but it’s not only a gateway for the privileged few. My main in WoW has always been a burly dwarf. I chose to play a dwarven hunter because of how epic the Vanilla WoW cinematic was. People of color are used to playing video games with characters who don’t resemble us. We don’t get our self-worth from a video game. Being able to play as a hero who resembles me is a bonus though.
Self-inserting yourself into the story is part of the fun. MMORPG’s are interesting because the game makes you the hero. Many MMO players have praised Final Fantasy XIV for how it makes you the center of the story. Final Fantasy has also been praised for its customization options. Playing a character with your skin tone is fun. It’s not a necessity for enjoying a video game, but it’s still awesome.
My Experiences With Racism Outside Of WoW Continued
Outside of the World of Warcraft Shadowlands customization options, I’ve experienced racism my whole life. There are two instances that stand out. When I was about four or five years old the police broke into my home. This happened several times, but I only remember this one incident because I was little.
The cops were searching for a suspect. Well, it was in the middle of the night. So my mom and I were in the bed. The cops busted open our bedroom door. Their guns were drawn and they blared their flashlights in our faces. Thank god they didn’t shoot us.
My Experiences With Racism Outside Of WoW Continued
Another experience with racism I’d like to share occurred a couple of years ago. I visited the Urgent Care near my home. My thigh had swollen. On my thigh was a huge circular bug bite. I’d been experiencing tremendous pain and I was delirious. The doctor was an older white man. As soon as he saw me his face dropped. I explained what was wrong and showed him my bug bite. The doctor refused to help me. He wouldn’t give me any pain medication or antibiotics. He turned me away. I had to visit another Urgent Care. The doctor there was a young Asian American and she was kind. She prescribed me antibiotics and pain medication and sent me on my way.
I’ve experienced racism on many occasions when visiting a doctor. Many believe the stereotypes that African Americans don’t experience pain. I assure you that we do feel pain. Some doctors have also assumed I was only seeking drugs. I assure you that I don’t do drugs, I’ve never smoked, and I don’t drink. Stereotypes can literally cost people of color their lives.
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My Experiences With Racism Outside Of WoW Cont.
The final racist experience I’d like to share occurred on vacation. My family had been wanting to visit Walt Disney World for about 20 years. The problem was the expense.
We finally made it to Walt Disney World a few years ago. The majority of the trip was magical except for a few snags. We managed to secure a reservation to Cinderella’s Royal Table. Eating inside of Cinderella Castle is one of the most coveted dining reservations on property.
My Experiences With Racism Outside Of WoW Cont.
Well, during our meal the wonderful cast members gave me, my mom, and my grandmother magic wands. My brothers were given toy swords. As we exited Magic Kingdom park, a Disney security guard snapped at my brothers. He was a caucasian guard and thought they were leaving the park with weapons. We explained that we’d gotten the swords at Cinderella’s Royal Table. He eventually let us go, but the guard looked embarrassed. I’m thankful he didn’t make a bigger scene and call the cops.
We were also followed around the gift shop inside of our hotel. I guess because we were staying in a deluxe hotel they must have assumed we were lost. None of the white people in the gift shops were rushed out like we were. Being followed around stores and shops is something I’m used to. I’ve dealt with it my whole life. It’s exhausting when trying to shop, but it’s a sad reality for people who look like me.
World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Customization Options
What The New Changes Mean To Me
The new Shadowlands customization options won’t end racism. These new options allow everyone to escape from reality instead of a privileged few. I’m finally able to play a hero who represents me.
I felt a rush of excitement as I ran through Exile’s Reach. Now I’m questing in Pandaria and I’ve never been happier. My new hunter even has dreadlocks. They’re slightly different than the individual braids I enjoy wearing, but they’re close enough.
What The New Changes Mean To Me
My main complaint is the voice acting. Officer Garrick in Exile’s Reach changes her appearance based on your character. Well, at least I’m assuming she does because in the beta she looked white.
Well, when I created my new hunter Officer Garrick was now black. The problem is that her voice actress sounded too white. Sometimes it took me out of the moment because the voice didn’t match the face.
World of Warcraft has taken a step in the right direction. Fantasy should represent everyone. The fantasy genre in general is slowly becoming more diverse. I’m ecstatic to see this shift. People of color exist. We should be able to see ourselves as heroes too.
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World Of Warcraft Shadowlands Customization Options
Before you go…
World of Warcraft Shadowlands customization options means different things to different people. If you’re a person of color, how do you feel about the new changes? Have you made a character who resembles you? Has the new customization options improved your WoW experience? Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.
If you’re not a person of color, how do you feel about the new changes? Have you created a new character with darker skin? Have the new changes impacted you? Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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Are you ready for the holidays? Be sure to check out Blizzard Gear Fest gift ideas, and the 23 must-have gifts for World of Warcraft fans. Also, feel free to examine New customization in WoW Shadowlands and why Wrathion is cool.
Thank you for hanging out at my hearth.
Happy Hunting,
Spyells