The Dragon Age series is getting its first exclusively gay male character, which will also be the first fully gay male party member for BioWare as a whole, series writer David Gaider revealed in a post on the official Dragon Age Inquisition website.

As confirmed on the game's Facebook page, Dorian — who is described as a powerful elemental mage — will be a love interest for male Inquisitors.

"Dorian is gay — he is, in fact, the first fully gay character I've had the opportunity to write," wrote Gaider. "I suppose this aspect of Dorian will make him controversial in some corners, but I was glad to include it. It made writing Dorian a very personal experience for me," he added, referring to his own sexuality, "and I'm hopeful that will make him seem like a fully realised character to fans in the end."

While the company is known for its progressive stance on sexuality in games, BioWare has previously only ever introduced one exclusively gay male non-party member — Mass Effect 3's Steve Cortez. BioWare's early Star Wars endeavor, Knights of the Old Republic, included one gay female party member, Juhani; However, her relationship with female players was minimal.

Read David Gaider's opinion piece for Polygon, A Character Like Me, about the importance of integrating new types of characters in video games.