Nintendo has confirmed it will feature a diverse range of options for your character’s gender, voice and dating preferences in its upcoming social sim Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, after a previous backlash to the series a decade ago.
In today’s just-finished Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Nintendo Direct broadcast, the company began by showcasing the process with which players will create their Mii character, picking options for their gender, dating preferences and even a detailed range of setings for their voice.
While not specifically mentioned, the message here was clear: that Nintendo has made good on its promise made back in 2014 to make the next Tomodachi Life game “more inclusive, and [something that] better represents all players.”
In #TomodachiLife: Living the Dream, you can create Mii characters from scratch or by answering a series of questions! Once you’re finished with their look, pick their gender and adjust their dating preferences and personality. pic.twitter.com/eVQAWhuq9m
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) January 29, 2026
When Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launches for Switch consoles this year on April 16, it will be 13 years since the arrival of the series’ previous entry arrived on 3DS. Shortly thereafter, Nintendo found itself embroiled in a major controversy after Japanese fans alleged that Nintendo had initially developed, then removed, same-sex relationship options for in-game characters.
Nintendo’s Bill Trinen commented on the issue to IGN at the time, and stated that while Nintendo had indeed updated the game, the update’s intent had been to fix a data leak issue when importing characters from a previous game. Separate to this fact, Trinen said, some players had been using the same feature to import male Mii characters that could then be designated female, allowing for the appearance of two Mii characters of the same sex to marry and have a baby.
“Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of Tomodachi Life,” Nintendo then said in a statement, which did little to stop the growing backlash. “The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary.”
As fan complaints grew, a fan petition for “Miiquality” was launched, and the situation caught mainstream attention — including a high-profile skit by late night TV host John Oliver, who broadcast a skit featuring Mario and Link snogging.
Nintendo then issued a further statement with an apology for “disappointing many people” — and it was here that the company made a “pledge” to make a title that “better represents all players” should it release another Tomodachi title in future.
“We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life,” Nintendo said at the time. “Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game’s design, and such a significant development change can’t be accomplished with a post-ship patch. At Nintendo, dedication has always meant going beyond the games to promote a sense of community, and to share a spirit of fun and joy. We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players.”
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream allows players to create Mii versions of themselves, their friends, fictional characters and love interests and get them to all interact on a fantasy island. Clearly aware of some of the potential uses of this, Nintendo followed up today’s Direct broadcast with a vague statement that said it would “place restrictions on certain image sharing features” for the game. Nintendo’s Japanese support website states that this relates to the ability to share images directly to a smartphone or social media, though sharing via Game Chat is still possible.
For more, check out our roundup of everything announced at the Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Nintendo Direct.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
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