Real Virtual Beauty aims to "increase diversity and representation of female characters in games" Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Real Virtual Beauty aims to "increase diversity and representation of female characters in games" "We hope that together, we can make real beauty a reality in digital worlds." News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on 24 Sep 2022 29 comments Women in Games, Unreal Engine's Education Team, game studio Toya, and toiletry brand Dove have partnered to create "a series of actions to increase diversity and representation of female characters in games, alongside supporting young girls with self-esteem education across the virtual world". In a joint statement, the partnership said that despite 1.3 billion women and girls making up half of the global games community – 60 per cent of whom started gaming before turning 13 – 60 per cent of "girl gamers" polled by Dove "feel misrepresented and recognise a lock of diversity as a key issue in video games". Watch on YouTube Eurogamer Newscast: How damaging are video game leaks? 35 per cent of young girls also reported that their "self-esteen is negatively impacted after seeing a lack of diversity in characters and avatars". To help change this, the companies have launched Real Virtual Beauty, a "series of actions to shatter beauty stereotypes and equip the next generation of young creators and players". These commitments include education course Real Virtual Beauty. Run by Epic Games' Unreal Engine Education Team and Dove, it will invite game creators to reflect real-life diversity, "avoiding stereotypes and biases" in design and help players and young creators build self-esteem and body confidence. Real Virtual Beauty Avatar Library, on the other hand, will provide an online character art collection host on Epic Games' Art Station platform with the aim of raising "the standard for the authentic, diverse, and inclusive representation of women and girls across the stages of avatar development". Finally there's SuperU Story, "the world's first Roblox games experience" which will also deliver self-esteen education, "enabling young girls to customise their own avatars allowing them to experience more representative versions of beauty". "The representation of women in gaming platforms, products and services has long been an issue," explains Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO, Women in Games. "As activists, Women in Games has a key objective to support women and young girls in the games industry, and those who play games, so we are delighted to see Dove and allies in the games industry tackle this." "We're honoured to work with Dove and leading experts to create the Real Beauty in Games Training course, and we hope that together as a community, we can make real beauty a reality in digital worlds," added Julie Lottering, Director, Unreal Engine Education. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store