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The video games industry has largely been dominated by males over the decades, although in recent years there’s been a shift as females are getting their own tournaments and initiatives within the sector.
Esports is open to all, and there are plenty of men and women working in the games industry today, though there is a lack of women esports players on the global stage – and it could be more evenly split overall.
Outside of esports, according to the latest figures regarding gambling in Australia, it’s been found that 45.8% of regular gamblers from the country are female, with many likely using sites such as https://www.topaustraliangambling.com/casino-games/ in order to find the best platforms in which they can play their favourite titles safely and securely.
The esports sector is another industry, though, that has experienced a growing shift in gender participation, despite having been largely male-dominated since it was established as a professional activity/sport. Indeed, Riot Games has noticed this and is addressing it with its Valorant FPS title.
The Game Changers programme
Riot’s Game Changers platform is a programme designed to accelerate women’s opportunities within esports and create exposure for those who continue to play Valorant, whilst also providing a safe space and highlighting their importance to the industry as a whole.
“Valorant’s competitive community is diverse and incredibly global, with a significant portion of our competitive players being women, and yet the lack of support for these women going pro was, and still is, an obstacle we needed to overcome,” said Vera Wienken, senior brand manager and VCT Game Changers EMEA lead for Riot Games, speaking to Eurogamer.
“Game Changers exist to combat these obstacles. It helps create a true reflection of our vibrant, diverse community and the truth is, this is just as important for players as it is for esports organisations looking for the next generation of world-class talent to join their rosters.”
There are three aims that this initiative wishes to pursue, with these being to educate, elevate and engage.
Wienken revealed that the programme looks to educate others on how diverse the community is, whilst elevating the female players who have shown the skills and dedication to the teams and organisations that continue to compete. It also hopes to engage with the community to create a safe space that allows women to develop their skills and build a brand for themselves.
Positive impact
The Game Changers programme certainly appears to have had a positive impact since being established in September 2021, with four major EMEA tournaments having already been produced that saw around 60 top teams participate. UK organisation Tenstar’s Nova team picked up a couple of back-to-back wins in this tournament last year too.
Furthermore, the first Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers EMEA Series showed just how much success there is to be had, as viewership had managed to peak at 21,933 viewers, with over 189,000 hours being watched. Some teams have a dedicated coach, training schedule, boot camp space and more.
The programme has continued to evolve and has seen a number of big esports organisations sign up all-female Valorant teams, with teams including G2, Alliance and Guild.
Game Changers has also provided opportunities for other talent outside of players, such as female casters and hosts. Yinsu Collins is one host who has been heavily involved in Game Changers and is an advocate of inclusivity in Valorant and esports.
Limitations still exist
Unfortunately, there is perhaps still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to fully make esports as inclusive for women as possible.
There are reports of toxicity, sexism and harassment in game lobbies, something that the likes of Yinsu Collins call out regularly on social media. So there is also responsibility on game developers and publishers to clamp down on this behaviour by issuing appropriate punishments to offending players.
Wienken has admitted that the programme has a responsibility of putting pressure on individual team organisations and ensuring they continue to provide the opportunities to ensure the long-term success of women in esports.
Another limitation is in regard to gender, with some marginalised genders (non-binary) unable to participate in every tournament. However, The Goose House recently announced its latest Valorant tournament for women and marginalised gender players in Europe that will provide players with an opportunity to gain exposure and an opportunity to compete.
What are the future plans for Game Changers?
Riot has plans to continue this initiative in the future, with three EMEA Game Changers tournaments taking place in 2022.
One kicked off in January, which has concluded and was won by G2 Gozen, and the other two are taking place in May and September. Teams who succeed in these events will qualify for a place in the global Game Changers event planned for November.
Riot is also introducing a Game Changers EMEA Academy, a place for new teams and friends to compete in a safe space in up to six tournaments throughout the year. With plans like this, it seems that Game Changers is just getting started.
And beyond Game Changers, there’s more. UK esports organisations like Rix.gg and The Goose House have held their own Valorant tournaments for women and marginalised genders over the past year, as has the British Esports Association and the Dota Valkyries in Dota 2.
The ESL Women’s Circuit also hopes to create more opportunities in the CSGO space in particular.
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