Animal Crossing series
- Developer: Nintendo Marvelous AQL
- Publisher: Marvelous Natsume Marvelous USA Rising Star Games Nintendo of Europe Nintendo Australia
- Year: 2001 – 2020
- Genre: Simulation
- Platform/s: Various (Nintendo)
As of the latest entry, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the character creation system in the Animal Crossing does not require the player to choose a gender for their character, instead selecting a 'style' for their appearance, with features and clothing remaining unrestricted. Prior to New Horizons, recent entries in the series allowed for unrestricted use of clothing and choice of features, but did require a gender selection. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is the first game in the series that also allows the option of varied skin tones.
The gender of Grace and Roland in Animal Crossing: New Leaf was changed in localisation, with the English version renaming Roland 'Saharah'. Both characters are quite effeminate, so the localisation opted to alter their gender so that it could not be inferred that they are gay. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, two characters who are both referred to with 'he' pronouns, CJ and Flick, refer to each other as 'partners'. In Japanese this is translate as 'friends', however, so it is likely being used to indicate that they are business partners, though many fans have chosen to instead interpret them as a gay couple.