In addition to new graphical updates, missions, and levels to take on, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut has also fixed some of the more problematic elements present in the game. Specifically, Kojima Productions has included an addendum to the controversial “An Asexual World” data log entry which not only addresses the original text’s discriminatory undertone but also affirms the validity of asexuality.
The data log in question is unlocked partway through the story and describes how people in the post-apocalyptic world of Death Stranding avoid forming emotional connections with others—an overarching theme in the game’s narrative, as well as being a social commentary on today’s society by Kojima. The log explains how birth rates have decreased dramatically, partly due to the inherent dangers that BTs present in daily life.
However, the original data log concluded by categorizing the “vast majority of the population” as asexual, thereby implying that asexuality is a circumstance of the environment rather than something that people are born with and choose to identify as. Worse yet, the log also noted that there was an “increasing popularity” in the “sexless lifestyle,” and claimed that the Stranding—the apocalyptic first appearance of BTs that killed thousands and splintered the United States — was the cause of non-heteronormative sexual identities. The implication was that identities such as asexual, demisexual, and panromantic were things caused by the Stranding, and were therefore aspects that were wrong and needed to be corrected.
Fortunately, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut has made an edit to the data log that not only addresses these discriminatory implications but does so in a way that also adds to the narrative of the game. A new addendum brings more context to the thesis about people who identify outside of cisgender heteronormativity. Below is a tweet by Alessandro Fillari showing a screenshot of the log in question:
Another unexpected change in the Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is with one of the log entries. The data log about “The Asexual World” caused a bit of controversy for its inaccurate look at asexuality, and the Director’s Cut adds a note to address this. pic.twitter.com/uUpP9fKZtg
— alessandro fillari (@afillari) September 23, 2021
Below the original text, the log now states that it is “Flagged for Archival Review.” From there, the text explains that the thesis is “widely regarded as unsubstantiated and discriminatory,” and notes that the “prevailing theory is that increased self-identification of aforementioned sexualities is due to increased societal awareness and acceptance.” Additionally, the data log mentions that queer identities and those that “fall outside of cisgender heteronormativity” faced significant discrimination and persecution “leading to suppression and concealment as survival strategies.”
More importantly, the edit also separates the increase of queer self-identification from the cause of declining birthrates—a common right-wing talking point that has recently caused significant uproar in the Japanese LGBTQ community.
If you’re interested in learning more about Death Stranding Director’s Cut, you can also check out our official review of the game on the PS5.
