Localization left behind: How context is crucial to game dev mental health

Ambassador Virginia Casagrande exposes the emotional impact a lack of context can have on those working in video games localization.

“Please translate to the best of your ability.”

“We’re still waiting for the client to reply on whether licensed content should be localized. Use your best judgement.”

“Gender neutral language is best.”

“Please don’t adapt character names.”

“Since so many character names are based on wordplay, you should take liberties to create an immersive experience.”

This is what a typical video game localization query sheet looks like. A long list of sometimes conflicting and often difficult statements. Usually, the bigger the game, the longer the list of unanswered queries, which can make video game localization feel like you’re fumbling around in the dark.

What is localization?

Video game localization is a crucial step in bringing a game to a global audience. Localization goes deeper than translating text from one language to another. To maintain an immersive and accessible experience for gamers around the world, you must also consider cultural references, tone, music, graphics and legal requirements.

For this to be achieved, a localization team needs plenty of information from the developers. Translators will often move mountains to solve the many issues that arise from a lack of information.

Jumping through hoops

For example, if a client hasn’t provided a style guide for capitalization, a Translator might scavenge the internet to find examples from previous or similar games; or if the game is based on a popular anime, they might subscribe to Crunchyroll to search desperately for a one-time-used ability just to try to catch its exact name.

If the localization brief doesn’t include the genders of non-playable characters, they might spend time logging a query for each NPC, reminding the client that gendered languages can’t always get away with a gender neutral alternative, but will nevertheless come up with the best option they can think of until they get a reply.

If no context whatsoever is provided, a Translator might be left to stare vacantly at the two-column interface used in every Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tool known to mankind, sighing hopelessly before beginning their quest to find out what a certain item looks like in whatever 4-hour playthrough they are able to find on YouTube.

Translators might draw up their own schematics to understand game mechanics; work out story progression; or use clever and ambiguous dialogue lines, exhausting all available resources to avoid being forced to log yet another query that says, “can you please let us know what ‘it’ refers to here?”

Localization and AI

Before the arrival of generative AI, that is what a typical day looked like in the life of a video game localizer. Since 2023, though, most big localization companies have adopted machine translation to save on costs, pushing for post-editing the output of Large Language Models (LLMs), and offering localization specialists lower rates as a result, arguing that this would allow them to complete tasks more quickly.

AI isn’t just threatening our livelihoods, it’s doing a decidedly worse job compared to humans in localization. Navigating the contextual nuances of translation is hard for even the most passionate and experienced Translator. The technology required to replace us simply doesn’t exist, and the technology being applied right now only creates more work.

Delivering a top-notch game localization requires great linguistic skills, attention to detail, detective-like abilities, nerves of steel and a whole lot of patience to deal with the industry.

Impact on mental health and retention

I stepped away from the localization industry nearly three years ago because I needed a break from all of the above. I needed to catch my breath and realize that I could not devote my every waking hour to thinking about my job, or whether or not I had enough non-paid time to ask a million questions, or do hours and hours of research to get the translation right.

You might be wondering, “why is this person bothering to write an article about games localization when she’s not even in the business anymore?” The answer is: because I know how hard thousands of video game localizers are working, how much they’re struggling, and I want to raise awareness. I actually applied to be a Safe In Our World Ambassador in part to have a platform to speak up about these issues.

These issues have a wider impact on our industry. Many other freelancer roles, like Voice Actor or Writer, will be able to personally relate to this experience.

DID YOU KNOW! As part of the Games Mental Health Summit 2024, Safe In Our World and BAFTA invited voice actors to discuss their own experience with mental health and wellbeing. Hear directly from Doug Cockle, Alix Wilton Regan, Jessica Hayles and Robert Gilbert as they join host Kate Saxon, on the panel Voices for Change.

Looking out for Localization

But what can we do to support Localizers, and all the other amazing freelancers who help bring games to life?

• Thinking about localization early on as part of the game development to facilitate the localization and testing process, aiming at a reasonable timeline.
• Consulting with the loc teams what the localization kit should look like based on the specific game mechanics.
• Being clear about what special characters are supported and providing clear instructions as to character limitations in user interface items, text boxes or buttons.
• Providing full and proper context for items, weapons, quests, trophies, game modes, side missions, characters (gender included), game-specific terms along with their definitions, a roadmap for branching dialogues, descriptive string IDs (including addresser and addressee for dialogue lines), etc. (Good lore!)
• Setting up a communication channel between linguists so that they can have direct contact (which builds trust, increases accuracy, and helps everyone involved work efficiently together – this proves especially useful when there is no official style guide).
• Being receptive and responsive to questions asked by Localizers – they’re trying really hard to do your work justice!
• Considering using specialist independent localization companies. Hiring a small team of pros responsible for directly handling your gameplay experience in different markets is the highway to producing a top quality end product.

If you’re involved in any stage of the game development workflow, be mindful of the extent to which Localizers will go to ensure your game – your baby – can reach new markets. We, the smallest players in the field, are often supporting the weight of the industry so that gamers across the world can enjoy immersive gameplay.

And as a wise elf once said at the Council of Elrond: “Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”

Virginia Casagrande joined Safe In Our World as an Ambassador in 2025, as a certified Translator specializing in video game localization and transcreation. Virginia believes fostering a direct relationship between devs and localizers could be a healthy and beneficial practice to improve mental health within the video game community.