June has arrived, and that means it’s time to celebrate Pride Month. Xbox and Don’t Nod Entertainment have kicked off the party with a free giveaway of 2020’s award-winning adventure game Tell Me Why, which you can download and keep forever on Xbox or PC.
Tell Me Why tells the story of Tyler and Alyson Ronan, 21-year-old twins that share a telepathic bond that lets them communicate and share visions of memories in vivid detail. After spending years apart, Tyler and Alyson return to their hometown in Alaska to piece together their fractured past and investigate the mysterious death of their mother.
Don’t Nod’s games often portray queer characters, but Tell Me Why seems particularly relevant thanks to the "unprecedented rise in transphobic violence and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation" in America. Tyler is not only a trans man, but he’s voiced by trans voice actor August Aiden Black.
"This year’s research from the Trevor Project has found that 79% of trans boys/men, 71% of trans girls/women, and 79% of nonbinary/genderqueer youth have experienced symptoms of anxiety over the past year," wrote Don’t Nod in its Pride announcement, noting a "hostile political climate and isolation from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as major causes."
Besides giving away Tell Me Why on both the Xbox and Microsoft storefronts, Xbox Publishing is donating $25,000 each to the Transgender Law Center and Trans Lifeline, two non-profit organizations that provide crisis support and resources to transgender people in the US. Xbox is also hosting a charity event livestream of Tell Me Why on Thursday, June 23 on the Xbox Publishing Twitch channel.
Along with the free game, Halo Infinite players can expect to receive the Unity emblem and nameplate to celebrate pride, while Forza Horizon 5, 4, and Forza Motorsport 7 will receive rainbow livery for the 2009 Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster. Xbox is also selling a new Xbox Series X controller that combines all 34 LGBTQIA+ flags in an extremely colorful design.
Tell Me Why is free to download from now until June 30.