Quantic Dream Claims Beyond PS4 Skin Tone Concerns are ‘Absurd’ and ‘Upsetting’

Quantic Dream, developer of Beyond: Two Souls, has stauncly denied claims that some characters in the game have deliberately had their skin tone lightened for the PS4 version. 

Eurogamer noted that several of the characters featured in a mission set in a Saudi Arabian embassy appeared to have significantly lighter skin tones than they did in the original game on PS3. The above image is an example of the change. 

Quantic Dream says any changes are purely a result of a change to the game's lighting engine. 

“The lighting has changed as well as the skin shader we use, leading to slightly lighter skins in general (which can also be seen on Jodie's white skin), although some black skins are a little bit darker (which has not been reported…),” Quantic Dream's David Cage commented.

“All characters have been upgraded on the PS4 version compared to the PS3, which sometimes led to creating a new face that can be different from the previous one (as well as different clothes or accessories). The skin tone or type of few characters may have changed in the process.

“The scene takes place in what is obviously a middle-eastern embassy, with characters who are obviously from the middle-east, wearing obviously Arabic clothes and speaking obviously Arabic.”

Cage continued by stating that the developer strives to "actively promote cultural, gender, and racial diversity" in its games.

“Talking about the skin colour of two guards in the context of a game like Beyond is absurd, and for me personally, upsetting,” he added. “Quantic Dream has been actively promoting cultural, gender and racial diversity in all of its past and present games, as well as in our own company.

“We sadly regret that we have to justify ourselves when the skin colour of a passer-by has slightly changed for technical reasons, but we would like to reassure our fans and tell them that Quantic Dream will continue to promote racial and gender diversity in games, as well as positive human emotions and values.”

During Sony's press conference at the Paris Games Week in October, Quantic Dream announced its next game will be called Detroit: Become Human, which focuses on the AI Kara first seen in the studio's 2012 tech demo.