Astrology in Gaming - What Inspired GPBT Star Sign

Astrology has a long and storied history that originates in ancient Greek and Roman times. It’s often dismissed as irrelevant, “woo woo” or fabricated. But look around our current society. It’s everywhere - from social media to pop culture to games. 

If you've ever played Final Fantasy XV, you’re aware of the Astrologian job at level 30, which uses divination and tarot cards to heal and assist their allies. In The Binding of Isaac, some of the collectable items that Isaac can find to assist him in his journey are based on the zodiac signs, with effects loosely based on their given namesake. (Aries, the ram, gives “ramming speed, +0.25 speed and deals damage on hit.)

Journalists in the late 1800s began writing articles about astrology in local newspapers, detailing the ways that astrologers can consult the stars for guidance in their personal lives. The first newspaper horoscope was published in 1930 in a British publication called “Sunday Express” - R.H. Naylor reviewed the birth (or natal) chart of the recently-born Princess Margaret.

Forbes has discovered that 63% of young Americans (Gen Z) believe astrology helps their careers.

When our team works on design ideas for our limited monthly keycap program, KeyCapsules, we examine all sides of gaming culture. But what REALLY interests us are the points of overlap between gaming and popular culture.

Our staff has done a number of team-building exercises to help us work together more cohesively. One of our favorite exercises was a series of meetings where we each did a presentation on what is important to us in our lives outside of work. During these sessions, we discovered that several of us were fans of astrology (and that those who weren’t wanted to know more about it!)

An astrology keycap set immediately went on our list of 2025 ideas for KeyCapsules and GPBT Star Sign was created. (Just for fun, here’s the set’s birth chart!)

We wanted to make GPBT Star Sign the first KeyCapsules drop of 2025 for several reasons. At the start of a new year, we’re very interested in knowing what we’re in for, what to expect and what to watch out for.

In addition, 2025 has been coined by some astrologers as the “planetary Super Bowl” - a time where the four outer planets in our solar system all change signs. This is significant because these planets move very slowly, often not changing signs for a decade or more. Major global societal shifts and changes are expected this year, driving the interest in astrological predictions into the mainstream.

To learn more about our inspirations behind the design, how we developed the concept and layout of GPBT Star Sign, check out social media sites for some cool behind the scenes content!