Uncovering Gender Stereotypes in Video Game Character Designs: A Multi-Modal Analysis of Honor of Kings

In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of gender stereotypes in the character design of Honor of Kings, a popular multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in China. We probe gender stereotypes through the lens of role assignments, visual designs, spoken lines, and background stories, combining qualitative analysis and text mining based on the moral foundation theory. Male heroes are commonly designed as masculine fighters with power and female heroes as feminine "ornaments" with ideal looks. We contribute with a culture-aware and multi-modal understanding of gender stereotypes in games, leveraging text-, visual-, and role-based evidence.