Design gráfico e a sexualização de personagens femininas em jogos eletrônicos: uma análise visual do design de personagem de Caitlyn, do jogo League of Legends

Abstract

This study investigates the sexualization of female characters in video games through an analysis of the character design of Caitlyn, from the game League of Legends, character which was released in 2011 and redesigned in 2021. This research is based on the assumption that the post-redesign version of the mentioned character presents a lower level of sexualization compared to her 2011 launch version. The methodology employed was qualitative in nature, with an exploratory and inductive approach, supported by content analysis as proposed by Bardin (1977). A total of 16 official images of the character were selected, 8 from before and 8 from after the redesign, evaluated based on 13 criteria of visual sexualization developed from principles of Graphic Design and previous studies on the sexualization of female characters. The results indicate that Caitlyn's redesign led to a reduction in the levels of sexualization due to changes in the visual hierarchy in the character's presentation and, primarily, in her clothing and behavior. This research contributes to the ongoing debate on gender representation in video games and utilized a methodology that can be adapted for future analyses of female character sexualization from the perspective of Graphic Design.