6 queer stars we want to see drag GamesMaster kicking and screaming into the 21st century

Remember GamesMaster? The cult gaming TV show from the 90s is rumoured to be making a comeback, according to a pitch on the Channel 4 sales website.

The original was a magazine style show starring the late Sir Patrick Moore as the GamesMaster, who would provide hints and tips to players who competed in a number of challenges. 

The reboot is rumoured to have Patrick Stewart in the title role, with a possible launch later this year. According to the website, it will be a “social first” show in which “five bold celebrities will embark on a gaming odyssey but only one can go on to become the GamesMaster champion and take home the Golden Joystick”.

But which LGBT+ celebrities would we like to see in the title role?

Sir Ian McKellen

Taking the lead from Sir Patrick Moore and the rumoured Patrick Stewart, the GamesMaster is required to be someone with life experience, with gravitas, with a booming powerful voice, someone like…Sir Ian McKellen. Whether McKellen is a master of Fortnite strategies or knows his fake art from his real art in Animal Crossing is debatable, but there’s no other LGBT+ celebrity with the grandeur to take on this role.

Michelle Rodriguez

The queen of action films – best known for her role in Fast and Furious – is no stranger to gaming. From game-to-film adaptations like Resident Evil and Dungeons and Dragons, to voicing characters in Call of Duty and Halo, Rodriguez is also a keen gamer herself with a penchant for first person shooters. As GamesMaster she’d bring fearless energy and a wealth of experience in shooting actual zombies and demons.

Megan Thee Stallion 

Mileena from Mortal Kombat is definitely having a moment right now, from the character’s own coming out, to featuring recently in two different Drag Race looks and a Megan Thee Stallion cosplay. The new queen of rap competed in a live Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate match on Twitch and YouTube earlier this week where she proved her skills – we’d love to see more!

Monet X Change 

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner and host of her own chat show The X Change Rate, Monet is also a huge gamer who loves playing Super Smash Brothers on the Switch against other queens Bob, Kim Chi and more. She’s clearly no stranger to competition then, and would be a fierce and fabulous face of GamesMaster. Her Smash main? It’s Young Link.

Lady Gaga

From one queen to another, Lady Gaga infamously tweeted about her (lack of) Bayonetta skills back in 2018: “#gamer respect to the experts I need emotional support.” Perhaps her skills have improved since then? The witchy femme fatale certainly seemed to inspire Gaga’s Rain On Me video, so she’d certainly bring some hair-whipping to the role of GamesMaster.

SonicFox

Professional Esports player SonicFox has won multiple fighting game tournaments, including five Evolution Championship Series (EVO) events across four different game franchises. They are also non-binary and are known for their anthropormophic fox fursona in which they often compete. A true multi-champion LGBT+ gaming icon, there’s no one else more qualified to be the GamesMaster.