Forza Horizon 5 Sign Language Addition Applauded at The Game Awards

The Game Awards night is a special time for the gaming community, with fans’ choice of game purchases for the year being validated. However, the awards don’t end at just gameplay and popularity. Accessibility for the disabled has been a growing trend in the gaming sphere and has even become an award category. A special mention was made for Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 5.

Video games occupy a special place in the massive landscape of consumable media. They require active participation throughout the process, which can be challenging for those who face their own set of challenges in life. 

Games have been taking this into account and have begun to include accessibility options. However, some developers like Playground Games go the extra mile and hence have been recognized for Innovations in Accessibility for the implementation of American and British Sign Language in Forza Horizon 5.

Sign language will be an option in all of the game’s cutscenes, giving those hard-of-hearing players an alternative to subtitles. The move was praised across the board when it was first announced and was heralded as raising the bar for accessibility options.

Forza Horizon 5 took home the award, but there were many other titles to praise for their innovative features. Far Cry 6 was a nominee for the closed captions, text-to-speech, and colorblind mode. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart received praise for the extensive customizable options, including several ways to change the visuals.

2021 is the second year that innovation in accessibility has been a category at The Game Awards. Last year’s winner was The Last of Us Part 2, a game that was largely considered to have set a new standard in what could be expected from video games in terms of accessibility. 

It’s great to see such large titles and developers paying attention to aspects like this and making gaming a more inclusive space. While there may be trolls online and people screaming that they have done everything under the sun with your mom, it’s efforts like these that the gaming sphere can be welcoming as well.

Here is the full list of all the winners from The Game Awards,

• Game of the Year: It Takes Two
• Best Game Direction: Deathloop
• Best Narrative: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
• Best Art Direction: Deathloop
• Best Score and Music: NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139
• Best Audio Design: Forza Horizon 5
• Best Performance: Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu – Resident Evil Village
• Best Ongoing: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
• Best Indie: Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Best Debut Indie: Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Games for Impact: Life is Strange: True Colors
• Best Community Support: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
• Best AR/VR: Resident Evil 4
• Best Mobile Game: Genshin Impact
• Best Action Game: Returnal
• Best Action/Adventure Game: Metroid Dread
• Best Role-Playing Game: Tales of Arise
• Best Fighting Game: Guilty Gear: Strive
• Best Family Game: It Takes Two
• Best Sports/Racing Game: Forza Horizon 5
• Best Sim/Strategy Game: Age of Empires IV
• Best Multiplayer: It Takes Two
• Most Anticipated: Elden Ring
• Innovation in Accessibility: Forza Horizon 5
• Content Creator of the Year: Dream
• Best Esports Game: League of Legends
• Best Esports Athlete: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
• Best Esports Team: Natus Vincere (CS:GO)
• Best Esports Coach: Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun
• Best Esports Event: 2021 League of Legends World Championship 

About Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 is the latest installment in the Forza series of racing simulator games. It is the fifth Forza Horizon title and the twelfth main installment in the Forza series. The game has been developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft for the Xbox consoles and PC. 

Forza Horizon 5 is set in a fictional representation of Mexico. Players will race through various kinds of biomes in the game, and will have access to a number of professional racing cars. Several game modes allow players to play online against others, and “The Eliminator” battle royale mode has also made a return from Forza Horizon 4.