In transgender care/communities, we tend to recognize the importance of gender affirming care and behaviour.

From google AI, but a fair definition:

Gender affirming behaviors are actions that support a person's gender identity, which may differ from the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender affirming behaviors can include social, medical, and legal actions.  Social affirmation Using a chosen name and pronouns, Coming out, Wearing clothing that matches your gender identity, Modifying your body shape, and Cutting or shaving your hair

As the definition notes, this is not exclusive to trans people. 

Playing as a specific gender can be gender affirming behaviour. 

Why that matters: the discourse and shaming on reddit and elsewhere when men express being upset that a main playable character in the game franchise is switched to a female character, like with Ghosts of Tsushima. While attacking studios/voice actors for such change is deplorable and misogynistic, being upset is not. 

It’s reasonable for men to be upset that they will not get a similar level of affirmation from a game they were looking forward to. But it’s also reasonable that studios want to explore different stories and change their main character/s. It is misandrist to expect men to be happy about playing as women or to view them as misogynistic for not wanting to play female characters, just like it would be if we shamed men for not wearing women’s clothing.( Tho I do recommend that – cross dressing every so often can be fun). 

Using this language in the discussions of those expressing misandry towards the men may help shift how people think/talk about this, and reduce polarization in the gaming communities.

When a man experiences misandry and looking for community, and the only ones affirming them are extremist communities, it contributes to radicalization. Misandry and misogyny feed into each other. 

Related term definition that caught my eye when looking up first definition:

Gender Affirming Therapy is a therapeutic stance that focuses on affirming a patient's gender identity and does not try to “repair” it.

Including this because in our current society, cis men also need gender affirmed, not repaired.