Leaked screenshots from the upcoming Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream for the Switch 2, scheduled for April 2026, show that Nintendo is diving headfirst into identity politics. Gamers got their first look at new “non-binary” Mii options and dating preferences that now include male, female, or non-binary partners. When I posted about it on X with the caption, “First changes have arrived. It’s over,” the reaction exploded—over 31,000 likes from people who saw what was happening. What was once a harmless, quirky life simulator about family and fun has turned into another stage for social messaging. Nintendo, once the last major gaming company from Japan still focused on play over politics, appears ready to follow Western corporate trends into endless lectures about “representation.” Some fans have even started calling it “Homodachi Life,” and though the name is harsh, the point is clear. The charm that once made these games timeless is being buried under corporate activism.
First changes have arrived.
It’s over. pic.twitter.com/ERYxST8LId
— Grummz (@Grummz) January 29, 2026
This shift didn’t appear overnight. It took root under Doug Bowser, who became president of Nintendo of America in 2019 and transformed the company into a DEI showcase. He bragged about employee resource groups for every identity category imaginable and pushed mandatory trainings on topics far removed from game design. By mid-2025, he was openly calling DEI one of the company’s top priorities and ordered that localization teams study “culturalization” and “DEI-related topics.” Unsurprisingly, the games began to change. Splatoon 3 removed clear boy or girl options. Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduced gender-neutral dialogue and wardrobe options. Pokémon started filling its world with trainers and characters designed to check social boxes. None of this came from Japan’s creative spirit—it came from American offices insisting that art must serve an agenda. Nintendo of America has become a filter that “advises” Japanese designers on what “modern gamers” supposedly want, though what they really want is a politics-free escape.
Good Morning.
Bowser is out. Pritchard now runs Nintendo of America. pic.twitter.com/iHZjL1LrSG
— Grummz (@Grummz) January 1, 2026
And now there’s Devon Pritchard, who officially took over as president and COO of Nintendo of America on January 1, 2026. That should sound the alarm for anyone still hoping the company might turn around. Back when her promotion was announced in late 2025, I said, “Nintendo… Is absolutely fucked now, isn’t it?” Her speech at the January 20 New York Game Awards confirmed the fear. She told the crowd, “Every dream matters. Everyone deserves to do meaningful work in gaming and storytelling.” It could have come straight from a human resources seminar.
Pritchard has been climbing Nintendo’s corporate ladder since 2006, mostly through legal and marketing roles, but her visible support for “safe and welcoming” gaming movements online leaves no doubt where she intends to steer the company. Fans can expect more censorship, fewer risks, and even more “representation” gimmicks that please activists rather than players. It’s the same script that turned once-great publishers like Ubisoft and EA into jokes.
Devon Pritchard gave her first statement as Nintendo of America’s new President at the New York Game Awards!
“Every dream matters. Everyone deserves to do meaningful work in gaming and storytelling.” pic.twitter.com/e50bVKLtey
— Stealth (@Stealth40k) January 19, 2026
What makes this painful is that Nintendo used to be different. For decades, it represented Japan’s commitment to fun first, not politics. Its games didn’t talk down to players or use buzzwords to sell identity. But now, with Pritchard pushing Doug Bowser’s corporate vision even further, the company seems determined to erase that legacy. Expect more forced inclusivity features, watered-down designs, and games that substitute activism for creativity. Gamers who remember what Nintendo once stood for should speak up—refuse to buy, flood their social media, and demand that the company remove the political poison from its development process. If nobody does, the Nintendo that gave us Mario and Zelda will be nothing more than a memory. The suits will keep insisting it’s “progress,” but what’s really happening is cultural sabotage hidden behind friendly smiles and rainbow logos.
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Nintendo’s Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream introduces non-binary Miis and DEI messaging, pushing fans to ask if the classic gaming giant has traded creativity for corporate activism.
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