HuniePop 2 is getting a trans character. The last “Hunie Direct” video revealed the latest girl to make the cast – Polly Bendleson. Looking like a 1980s fitness instructor, Polly quickly made an impression on the HuniePop fanbase not for her “traditional” personality or occupation as a “Beauty Tuber,” but from the fact that she “has a dick.” But this reveal didn’t go over smoothly.
Despite being the “the most requested type of character” the developers have added to date, the studio was regretful of how it handled some of the specifics in the matter. About 43 percent of players want to be able to skip Polly and that split reaction has already caused the developer to go back to the drawing board. But she’s here to stay – albeit with a few changes to hopefully satisfy both sides of the argument. In an attempt to quell the backlash, players will be able to choose whether or not Polly is cisgender or transgender when the game comes out.
Concerns are mounting that Polly’s inclusion in the upcoming sequel merely looks to fill another stereotypical archetype rather than to accurately portray a trans girls because she’s never referred to as transgender in the video. Instead, the narrator of the six-minute long segment – who stays in character as the foul-mouthed Kyu throughout – simply jokes about her being into stereotypically “girly things” before feeling the need to mention her anatomy. Some have even expressed anger that trans people don’t have a men to choose from while others have cried that it is trans erasure.
HuniePop games require that players explore every storyline in order to beat the game. Holly Bendleson is an exception to the rule. This will be the first time a character will be fully skippable as those who want more content but just aren’t that into her current situation will have the option to have her be assigned female at birth character just like the rest of the women.
Gender-inclusive characters have recently been a big talking point across the industry. There are right and wrong ways when it comes to incorporating a person around a sensitive subject, yet the HuniePop 2 trans character has made a polarizing impact long before its planned 2019 release.
As for how the game will be released next year, the devs hope to release the full uncensored version on Steam next year so long as the platform’s current stance on “adult” games doesn’t change again.
