Filipinos in Video Games You Didn't Know Had Them

I wanted to wait until October to pitch this story to big sites, and I probably still will, but I also never expected to be a player.gg curator--and I definitely didn't think that if it were to happen, it would be this quickly. That said, I wanted my first post to be something unapologetically me, and I guess it doesn't have to take place on Filipino-American History Month.

If you don't know me, it's all good. That gives me a clean slate to introduce myself as the person I'd like to be, though I'm many things. I'm Danreb Victorio. I love video games, and I'm Filipino. People who know me in the industry might point me out as the "barong guy" at The Game Awards every year. IYKYK.

I hold my passions close to my heart, and my pride as a Filipino-American is one of the passions I hold most dearly. If you know a Filipino, they probably share that same pride. Heck, they might be embarrassed and even passionate about their lack of pride. That's entirely normal, and I think that's something that makes us even more special.

Filipinos are often thought of as the "forgotten Asian-Americans." Tabbed as "Manilamen," Filipino sailors (do you know any sailors?) first set foot in America in Morro Bay, California, in 1587, and we've hidden in plain sight. The Philippines was colonized by both Spain and the United States for over 300 years, and during that time, there was a lot of cultural blending and assimilation. That's partly why we have so many Spanish surnames, and why so many Filipinos you might know today are naval families.

Today, the Philippines is the #2 in English-speaking population, just behind Malaysia, which has more than its share of Filipinos living there as well. It's all a part of fitting in. A lot of Filipinos don't want credit for things. They're just happy to be a part of it, so when you notice a Filipino in literally anything in popular media... "UYYYYY, PHILIPPINES!" is automatically yelled.

So let's tie that back to video games. My moments of Filipino pride in video games are so rare, I can literally recollect all of them specifically for this story, so let's test this widget thing out, shall we?

You ever play Tell Me Why? After leaving the Life is Strange license behind, Tell Me Why was next in line in their games that emulate teenage drama. Much was made about featuring a trans protagonist, but the thing that had my attention was that there was a chalkboard menu outside of a cafe that featured "salmon lumpia."

You can read my review of chapter one for more, but I went nuts over the fact that not only was there Filipino food I'd never been exposed to, but the game also featured a middle-aged, toxic Filipina mom type. If any of my fellow Pinoys want to get triggered in ways that only your family can achieve, play this game.

Jokes aside, it's actually a decent title. Do actually play it.

It's weird that I like this game as much as I do. I completely vibed with it, even though I was never the biggest John Hughes fan, and I loved the soundtrack despite actually only knowing like two or three of the songs.

There's a lot of folks that simply don't get it, even going as far as calling it and industry plant because of the ratings it got. One of my curator homies here called this game "White Venba," which was definitely a funny joke in my eyes.

I loved Mixtape, despite not being a white dude. A big reason is Stacey's relationship with one of her best friends, Cassandra Morino. She was a goodie-two-shoes character her parents sheltered, but she was a rebel — arguably a bigger rebel than the protagonist, Stacey. While nobody from Beethoven and Dinosaur has ever straight up admitted it... Spanish last name, overprotective parents, and smaller eyes than the rest of the cast? Not to mention her jerk dad was voiced by a Filipino-American voice actor? Cassandra is Filipina. Give it up, Annapurna.

Okay, maybe you did know Call of Duty: Warzone had a Filipina. I don't play it, so I guess I apologize for that. That said, this will be the last game I mention. I know there are a bunch of other games with Filipinos in them, but I don't intend this to be a one-off, so if you guys like it, I'll do some more.

The reason I wanted to spotlight Call of Duty: Warzone, aside from the fact that it's Call of freakin Duty, is that the lore of Isabella Rosario Dulnuan Reyes is immaculate. Her character was inspired by Kumander Liwaway, who was key for the American side during World War II.

I immediately smiled upon learning her story because in my high school and college years, I attended a lot of marches advocating for the benefits that were stripped away from Filipino soldiers fighting alongside Americans (as a result of the Recession Act of 1946) to be restored. I eventually met and befriended the writer responsible for Isabella's character, Belinda Garcia-Maguid, and asked her to be the featured speaker at a career day event I hosted at my alma mater last year.

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I think that's good for my first player.gg post!

I hope you guys liked it. If you'd like me to continue, I would love to, and it would really encourage me if you gave me some love wherever you see me!

For more of my work, be sure to check out SmashPad. I'm also typing away on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and if you really wanna snoop, you can follow me Instagram too.