Summary:
Nintendo has quietly overhauled its beloved avatar system for the upcoming Switch 2, swapping the traditional male-female toggle for a pair of neutral “styles.” In plain terms, you no longer declare your Mii’s gender; you simply choose the body that feels right, then tweak every detail to your liking. The shift follows similar moves in Splatoon 3 and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, where clothing and hairstyles were freed from gender locks. Critics see a win for inclusivity, while some worry about legacy software compatibility. We break down the history behind Miis, explain how the new Style system works, explore why Nintendo made the call, and offer down-to-earth tips for designing an avatar that feels uniquely “you.” By the end, you’ll know exactly what to expect when you boot up Switch 2’s Mii Creator—and why this small menu change signals a much bigger cultural moment for games.
The Evolution of Miis From Wii to Switch 2
Back in 2006, Nintendo introduced Miis on the Wii as playful caricatures of players, instantly recognizable by their floating heads and minimalist facial features. Over the years, those smiling avatars slid onto the 3DS, Wii U, and the original Switch, retaining the same basic design language while quietly expanding their wardrobe and facial options. Yet one element never changed: every Mii began life as either “male” or “female.” Fast-forward to 2025 and we’re standing at a crossroads. With Switch 2, Nintendo swaps that binary for a flexible Style menu, letting us build avatars free from the weight of gender labels. The move isn’t just cosmetic—it modernizes a 19-year-old idea, aligning Miis with today’s broader push for personal expression. By tracing this journey from Wii remotes to Joy-Cons, we can see how tiny design tweaks echo shifting cultural values.
Origins on Wii and Wii U
The original Wii’s channel-based interface treated Miis as digital game pieces. Because the console targeted living-room gatherings, Nintendo deliberately offered cartoonish bodies and big heads, making it easy for grandparents to spot their grandkids in Wii Sports. On Wii U, Miis morphed into social profile pictures for the Miiverse platform, gaining new hairstyles, glasses, and skin tones. Still, the first choice remained gender, setting hairstyle presets and default voices. That early blueprint felt simple in 2006, but years later the rigid binary stood out amid growing conversations about identity and representation.
Early Customization Features
Wii and Wii U owners could tweak facial features, height, and weight, yet clothing stayed fixed: blue pants for males, red for females. Facial hair only appeared for the male setting, and makeup options remained limited. Although charming, these choices implicitly reinforced stereotypes, nudging players into narrow molds. As more gamers sought avatars reflecting their authentic selves, the demand for flexibility grew louder, nudging Nintendo toward today’s Style option.
What Switch 2 Changes in Mii Creation
Fire up the Switch 2 Mii Creator and the old “Pick a Gender” prompt is gone. In its place appears a question—“Select a style for your Mii”—followed by two neutral silhouettes that resemble the classic male and female shapes without labeling them as such. According to NintendoSoup, the menu adds a note clarifying that some software might still map your choice to a gender behind the scenes, depending on game mechanics. Polygon’s hands-on demo confirms players can tweak every element—hairstyle, voice pitch, even body size—regardless of the initial style. The result is a build-your-own-avatar tool that feels less like filling out a form and more like sculpting digital clay.
Decoding the New “Style” Options
At first glance, the two styles look familiar: one slightly broader-shouldered, the other narrower. But think of them as starting templates, not fixed identities. Once selected, you can swap hairstyles, adjust jawlines, and apply any facial feature, blurring the old boundaries completely. GoNintendo notes that this mirrors Splatoon 3’s approach, where players pick a “Style” before customizing their Inkling or Octoling. Nintendo even ditched the mileage-based voice slider labeled “Boy” and “Girl,” opting for a straightforward pitch control. In short, Style acts like choosing a mannequin at a clothing store; it sets proportions but doesn’t dictate what you can wear.
Inclusive Design Philosophy at Nintendo
Nintendo’s decision didn’t come out of nowhere. Over the past decade, the company gradually loosened gender locks across its first-party catalog. Animal Crossing: New Horizons allowed any player to don dresses or tuxes. Splatoon 3 let squid kids pair any hairstyle with any outfit. By extending that logic to Miis—the digital face of the console—Nintendo signals a broader commitment to letting us define our identities on our own terms. The shift also anticipates global audiences: in cultures where gender expressions vary widely, a neutral Style label avoids awkward translation issues and respects local norms.
How Other Nintendo Games Led the Way
We’ve already mentioned Splatoon and Animal Crossing, but the breadcrumb trail goes back further. In 2018, Pokémon Let’s Go simplified trainer gender to a color choice, while 2019’s Ring Fit Adventure let players pick a body type independent of voice. Each experiment nudged the Overton window until Miis were the last hold-outs. By observing fan feedback—especially the enthusiastic response to Splatoon 3’s “Style A/B” system—Nintendo gathered data that guided the Switch 2 redesign. The story shows how iterative game development, guided by community sentiment, can eventually remake a franchise staple without fanfare.
Community and Fan Reactions
Opinions online split into predictable camps. Many applaud the change as a victory for inclusivity, celebrating the freedom to craft avatars without boxes to tick. Social media threads share screenshots of Mix-and-Match Miis sporting shaved heads and tuxedo tops over skirts. Others voice concern about legacy games that still flag Miis as male or female, worried their carefully crafted Switch 2 avatar might display the “wrong” gender in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Yet even skeptics concede that Style selection won’t alter gameplay on most titles; it merely affects how certain legacy games categorize voice lines or pronouns. For the average player, the shift lands quietly—perhaps the best sign that better representation can feel seamless.
Impact on Gameplay and Compatibility
Switch 2’s operating system assigns a hidden gender value for backwards-compatibility when necessary. If a title queries gender, the console maps Style 1 to “male” and Style 2 to “female” so the game doesn’t crash. That mapping happens under the hood, invisible to the user. For modern releases, developers are encouraged to read only avatar properties like body size, voice pitch, or clothing—not gender. As a result, future Mario Golf entries might let Miis tee off in any outfit without changing their swing animation. Meanwhile, Switch-era games will continue to behave as before, maintaining leaderboard integrity and ghost data.
Practical Tips for Crafting Your Style
Ready to design your first gender-free Mii? Start by picking the silhouette that roughly matches your desired height or shoulder width—remember, you can shrink or stretch it later. Next, dive into the expanded color palette; Switch 2 introduces new skin tones and hair shades that finally include cooler undertones and natural grays. Use the voice test to set a pitch that feels right, then experiment with layered facial features: freckles plus blush, or dual-toned eyes. A handy randomizer can spark ideas, mixing features across former gender lines. When you’re happy, save multiple versions—perhaps one casual and one formal—so you can swap looks before game night.
Implications for Representation in Gaming
Nintendo’s move might look small, but symbolic gestures often ripple across an industry. Avatar systems teach players—especially kids—what identities matter. A gender-free starting point nudges new generations toward seeing gender as one trait among many, not a gatekeeper for hairstyles or hobbies. For marginalized players who never saw themselves in default avatars, the Style system feels like an open door. And for studios watching Nintendo, the decision sets a precedent. If the most family-friendly brand on the planet can drop gender locks, why not follow suit?
The Future of Miis Beyond Switch 2
Where do Miis go from here? Nintendo’s patent filings hint at more expressive facial tracking, potentially tying your Style-based avatar to subtle eyebrow raises captured by Joy-Con cameras. Cloud profiles could let Miis jump between mobile apps and home consoles, preserving expressions and voices. We might also see Miis appear in VR experiences, where the binary makes even less sense. Whatever happens, the Style system laid today becomes a foundation for tomorrow’s quirks—proof that a two-letter change on a setup screen can open whole new creative pathways.
Conclusion
Nintendo’s switch from gender to Style in its Mii Creator feels deceptively modest, yet it reshapes how millions of players see themselves on screen. By letting us choose bodies without labels, it invites broader self-expression while maintaining backwards-compatibility for older games. The journey from Wii avatars in blue and red pants to Switch 2’s fluid silhouettes mirrors societal shifts toward inclusivity—proof that even a company steeped in tradition can evolve. As we pick up our Joy-Cons and sculpt new Miis, we’re reminded that games grow with us, and sometimes the tiniest menu tweak tells the biggest story.
FAQs
- Does removing gender break older games?
- Not at all. Switch 2 quietly maps each Style to the expected gender flag when older software needs it, so everything runs smoothly.
- Can I edit my Mii’s Style after creation?
- Yes. Re-enter the Mii Maker, choose “Edit,” and you can swap Style, body proportions, and every facial feature without losing game data.
- Will future Nintendo titles still ask for gender?
- New first-party games are expected to rely on Style or body settings, not gender, following Nintendo’s recent design guidelines.
- Are there more hairstyle and color options on Switch 2?
- Absolutely. Nintendo quietly added fresh cuts, natural gray shades, and pastel highlights to broaden personal expression.
- Is voice selection still linked to gender?
- No. Voice pitch is a simple slider now, letting any Mii sound however you like regardless of chosen Style.
Sources
- Miis Have No Gender On Nintendo Switch 2, NintendoSoup, June 5 2025
- Mii characters are now genderless on Nintendo Switch 2, Polygon, June 4 2025
- Switch 2 Mii creation swaps “genders” for “styles”, GoNintendo, June 4 2025
