Mass Effect Andromeda
BioWare has released a new patch expanding the same-sex romance options for male protagonist Scott Ryder BioWare

BioWare has released a new patch for Mass Effect: Andromeda adding a new romance option for its male protagonist Scott Ryder, improvements to the character creator, some bug fixes and more.

Ryder's Angaran squadmate Jaal, a native of the Andromeda galaxy, can now be pursued as a same-sex romance option for Scott.

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The change comes after the developer faced criticism over the game's lack of same-sex romance options, in addition to various technical and graphics issues.

In April, BioWare outlined its plans to address these issues through multiple updates.

"Scott Ryder did not have a same-sex squadmate available as a romance option, nor could the achievement for completing three romances be achieved with only male same-sex partners," BioWare explained in a blog post.

"And as the angara have expressed their fluidity in how they perceive gender, it seemed only natural that Scott could have a relationship with Jaal. The relationships with your crew are some of the most loved and cherished parts of our games, so we wanted to make sure we got it right."

Many players complained at launch that the number of heterosexual romance options outnumbered those for same-sex relationships, particularly for Scott Ryder, who players play as if they choose to be male at the start of the game.

Another in-game LGBTQ character that also came under fire was Hainly Abrams, a transgender woman who casually divulges her masculine birth name, or "dead-name", to Ryder without any prompt — something that the trans community said was inaccurate and very unlikely to happen in real life.

BioWare said it consulted with members of the LGBTQ community both within and outside the studio to develop an authentic romantic option that "made sense for Jaal, Scott and the Angara".

"Our writing, editing, and animation teams worked together to ensure this change made sense for Jaal's character, and the result is a relationship we hope feels as fulfilling and memorable for Scott as it does for Sara," BioWare wrote.

Besides the new romance option for Scott Ryder, the patch also brings improvements to the character's creator to give players more control over Ryder's appearance including new male and female head models, another complexion option and a wider range of skin tones. It also added a new bald option and unlocked all hairstyles for both sexes.

Players will also be able to change their Ryder's appearance mid-game onboard the Tempest, Andromeda's replacement for the Mass Effect trilogy's Normandy ship.

The update also included multiple bug fixes for both single and multiplayer, including one issue in the latter mode that prevented melee attacks if the revive icon was near the centre of the screen.

Here are the patch notes for Mass Effect: Andromeda's Patch 1.08:

Single player

  • Ryder's appearance can now be changed onboard the Tempest
  • Expanded the range of options available in the character creator
  • Jaal can now be romanced by Scott Ryder
  • Dialogue for Hainly Abrams was adjusted to change the flow of personal information she discusses with Ryder.
  • Fixed issue with Nomad upgrades Shield Crafting quest
  • Nexus level and cryo pod points are retroactively granted
  • Vendors now carry weapon mods for Level 60-71 players
  • Vendors now sell weapon augmentations for automatic fire, burst fire, and single-shot fire
  • Improved clarity of descriptions for augmentations
  • Plasma Charge system now works properly for shotguns
  • Beam Emitter augmentation now causes guns to fire a constant beam with scaling damage based on the weapon's damage per second
  • [PC] Added experimental support for Dolby Vision™ technology

Multiplayer

  • Stealth Grid challenge now increments properly
  • Fiend no longer sprints when within 10 meters of target, and will decelerate to base speed
  • Enabled movement correction during Fiend attacks to reduce incidence of players seeing Fiends attacking in the wrong direction
  • Improved movement prediction for some enemies in tight spaces to reduce appearance of teleportation
  • Fixed issue that prevented melee attacks if the revive icon was near center screen
  • Fixed issue where ammo pick-up audio incorrectly played
  • Fixed issue where Backlash could malfunction while moving
  • Using Stealth and Recon Visor together no longer increases duration of invisibility for Turian Agent
  • Fixed issue where weight reduction modifications wouldn't reduce weight
  • The Revive Pack Transmitter now displays the revive radius in the loadout screen
  • Equipping the Cobra RPG now interrupts reloading
  • Player turns to Adhi when getting synced to avoid teleportation issue
  • Fixed issue where enemies would occasionally enter T-pose when hit
  • Improved visual and audio cues for player ready status in Multiplayer lobbies
  • Added "Lights" option to customization options
Bioware