Farming Simulator 17 will let you play as a woman

Something big is coming to the 2017 edition of Farming Simulator, and I'm not talking about the return of the mighty Fendt. (Although that's pretty cool too.) No, I'm talking about something even better, even more impressive, more mind-blowing than that. I'm talking about women. 

I actually didn't realize this, because I don't spend much time thinking about agricultural simulation, but all of the previous games in the Farming Simulator series have only offered male farmer avatars. But as someone who actually lives in a rural area, literally surrounded by farms on all sides, I can confirm it: There are women here. And they sometimes do farming stuff. This fact has not escaped the notice of Giants Software or the people who play its game. 

“As requested by the passionate Farming Simulator community, the ability to play a female farmer reflects the diverse and ever-expanding industry of agriculture, making Farming Simulator 17 more realistic and rewarding than ever before,” the studio announced. “Players will now be able to select their avatar's gender at the beginning of the game, along with customizing their clothes. This exciting new option will also appear among the workers you can hire: both men and women will give you a hand with the many tasks that a farmer sees throughout the day!” 

Okay, maybe it's not “exciting” in the same way as fending off an invasion of demon-aliens bent on exterminating humanity, but Farming Simulator is a world unto itself, with its own unique rules that transcend conventional wisdom and understanding. And this is pretty great.

Farming Simulator 17 will be out on October 25.
 

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.