Asmongold predicts Intergalactic will flop due to “ugly female” lead character

Twitch streamer Asmongold believes that Naughty Dog’s upcoming game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will be a commercial failure due to the appearance of its female lead character.

Naughty Dog unveiled a first look at its newest original IP, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, at the 2024 Game Awards on December 12.

As one of the night’s biggest reveals, anticipation for the studio’s next offering was high — but reactions have been widely mixed due to the game’s lead character, bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun.

In particular, backlash ensued across social media due to her appearance and gender, with many critics calling her “ugly” due to her shaved head and otherwise spartan appearance.

Asmongold is now the latest creator in the gaming space to speak out on the subject — and he’s standing firm that most gamers want to see attractive characters in the games they play.

Asmongold believes Intergalactic might be a commercial failure

According to Asmongold, games whose trailers have been negatively received on announcement tend to flop commercially, something he predicts for the future of Intergalactic.

“Making an ugly character actually is, at best, a net-zero effect, and in almost all cases, a negative effect,” he argued.

“Why would anybody do that? I think the mindset of putting something into a game that players actively don’t like is actually more important than the enjoyment of the customer — I think that mindset is going to permeate the entire game.

“I think the entire game is going to have problems, because it is fundamentally, at face value, not designed for an audience.”

On top of that, Asmon claimed that the majority of players who are likely to pick up a sci-fi action-adventure title like Intergalactic are likely male gamers who want to play a character they can relate to — i.e., not an unattractive woman.

Because Naughty Dog is apparently failing to cater to this user base, Asmon believes that their upcoming title won’t sell well.

However, some other broadcasters are of a different mindset; for instance, Hasan found it odd that some gamers’ enjoyment of a game hinges on whether or not they’re physically attracted to a character.

Jordan isn’t the only female lead of an upcoming game receiving backlash over her appearance; The Witcher 4’s Ciri is also being labeled as unattractive, with some critics even debating whether or not she should be the game’s main character.