‘League of Legends’ developer Riot Games has admitted censorship in anti-LGBTQ+ countries, following the release of its first gay black hero.

The game developer was celebrating the release by promoting its character K’Sante in trailers alongside the rapper Lil Nas X.

However, it has had to remove queer references in some markets around the globe where homosexuality is illegal and even punishable by death.

Speaking at the game’s world championship tournament Worlds 2022 event in San Francisco, the game's executive producer Jeremy Lee told Sky News that words like “lover” would be replaced with “partner” in countries less tolerant to the LGBTQ+ community.

Jeremy went on to say that he was “very proud” of the character because he wants "everyone who plays League Of Legends to find a champion that resonates with them".

He added: "Each region may publish certain aspects of the game a little bit differently to fit into the local culture."