eSports

Sexism in eSports

Published

7 years ago

November 15, 2017

Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you haven’t heard of eSports, you’re not alone. It’s largely a niche culture, but since the late 2000’s it has seen a large growth spurt particularly as professional gamers and spectatorship in these events saw a large surge in popularity. While organized online and offline competitions have been a popular part of videogame culture, now more than ever we are seeing more and more tournaments, live broadcasts and prize money for champion competitors.

eSports, by definition, are a form of competition facilitated by video games. According to various articles compiled by Wikipedia, “labeling video games as sports is a controversial point of debate. While some point to the growth in popularity of eSports as justification for designating some games as sports, others contend that video games will never reach the status of “true sports”. However popularity is not the only reason identified: some have argued that “careful planning, precise timing, and skillful execution ought to be what classifies an activity as sport, and that physical exertion and outdoor playing areas are not required by all traditional or non-traditional ‘sports’.”

In 2013, it was estimated that approximately 71.5 million people worldwide watched eSports. Demographically, Major League Gaming has reported viewership that is approximately 85% male and 15% female, with a majority of viewers between the ages of 18 and 34. Despite this, several female personalities within eSports are hopeful about the increasing presence of female gamers.

Team Digitas – made up of six top female gamers – are considered the best women’s team in North America and second best women’s team worldwide. In 2014, they joined together for a tournament in Paris without sponsors, paying out of their own pockets for the opportunity to compete. They all knew they wanted to compete professionally, so joined forces and came in second in that first tournament. Their next tournament, they came in first and have been seen as a serious force ever since. In 2016, they became the first U.S. eSports team to ever be backed by a professional sports team when the Philadelphia 76ers came calling. Team leader Emmalee “emuhleet” Garrido said that the fact that the 76ers didn’t once discuss them being a team of females was groundbreaking. She said, “that attitude, which promotes a passion for being perceived as a professional gamer first and foremost and a female second, is the big takeaway from this team.”

Despite the advancements being made, many female gamers don’t have such a positive experience. Oftentimes, women gamers hide their gender online so as not to experience pushback or discrimination from their male counterparts. While it does appear to be getting better as more and more women join in, it’s unacceptable for these professionals to be harassed because of their gender. According to an article on Compete.com, “Pro gamer Sherry Nhan also described the persistent harassment she has received online, such as gendered insults and disparaging comments about her looks. However, Nhan says that the fighting game community has always been welcoming to her when it comes to in-person interactions. Rachel “Seltzer” Quirico, a former pro gamer and current esports host, echoed that sentiment: “Whether you’re a sister or a brother in this scene, it’s very much a family feel for me.”

Anna Prosser – a former Miss Oregon USA – has been rising to the top of the field in recent years. She describes the eSports community as “intelligent forward-thinking, and well-meaning,” but also with “an undercurrent of sexism that often springs up in very destructive ways.” While male-dominated sport spaces is nothing new, Prosser and many others see a great future for women in eSports as long as the cultural awareness of the community continues to grow. And playing isn’t the only role within the eSports space either. There are opportunities for women to cast, create content and even run the business – all areas for women to break the glass ceiling in yet another up-and-coming sport.

The global eSports market generated $325 million of revenue in 2015 and is expected to make $493 million in 2016; the global eSports audience in 2015 was 226 million people. With this amount of success, eSports is certainly something to keep an eye on, but especially to root for more and more women in get involved – and succeed – in all aspects of the business.

*Source

eSports

Record Number of Host City Applications for IESF’s Events

Published

2 days ago

October 4, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The International Esports Federation (IESF) is pleased to announce the conclusion of the bidding process for hosting the 2025 and 2026 IESF Events – the World Esports Championship and Regional Qualifiers. For the first time in our history, we have received a record number of applications, with over 30 cities from across all continents submitting their bids to host our signature Esports events.

The increased interest in hosting IESF events reflects the expansion of the Esports community and the impact these tournaments have had on the intern ational esports scene. From Europe to Asia & Oceania, Africa to the Americas, cities are making significant efforts to develop their local Esports ecosystems while also presenting their capability to host nations from around the world. The opportunity to serve as the home of Esports for a year is seen as a meaningful step forward, with long-lasting benefits in both the local and international growth of Esports.

“Over the last five years, IESF events have grown rapidly, and so has the excitement around hosting one of the world’s biggest esports events. IESF events are truly one-of-a-kind and bring huge value to our host nations – or as we like to call them, the “Esports capital of the world.’ It’s amazing to see this growing interest, and we can’t wait to continue bringing the global Esports community together through these incredible events.”- stated Boban Totovski, the General Secretary of IESF.

We are now thoroughly reviewing the applications to determine which cities meet our criteria and requirements and align with IESF’s core mission of developing Esports in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

IESF is dedicated to ensuring that every event we host leaves a meaningful and lasting impact. The upcoming selection of our host cities will shape the future of many Esports communities across the globe and redefine the Esports landscape by supporting new emerging regions and strengthening the existing ones.

eSports

The legends return! GG.BET is hosting a second long-awaited battle between NAVI and Team Vitality in Match of LeGGends: Double Down

Published

3 days ago

October 3, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

On October 5, at 19:00 EEST, NAVI and Team Vitality will go head-to-head again in an epic Counter-Strike 2 show match organized by betting brand GG.BET. In Match of LeGGends: Double Down, viewers can expect unique showdown formats and a special bonus with promo code NAVITALITY.

The top two teams in the world will battle it out in this show match. Match of LeGGends: Double Down will see Team Vitality, who were IEM Cologne 2024 champions, and NAVI, who won gold this year at the PGL Major Copenhagen, EWC and ESL Pro League S20, go head-to-head. Viewers can also expect a nail-biting encounter between two rival MVPs — Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Justinas “jL” Lekavičius.

The show match will begin in a classic Standard format: the teams will play МR12 on the de_tuscan map. The second random map will be played in Arms Race Mode: gameplay will switch to Deathmatch mode, where it’s every man for himself. The main objective here is to achieve kills using various types of weapons and finish the game with a knife kill. The third randomly selected map will be played in MR12 format in Hostage Rescue mode: Counter Terrorists will be tasked with rescuing hostages, and Terrorists will try to stop them.

The show match is being organized by GG.BET, the official betting partner of esports team NAVI and Team Vitality’s CS2 roster. GG.BET hosted the first Match of LeGGends in July 2023, and the match racked up over 1 million views.

To celebrate Match of LeGGends: Double Down, GG.BET is offering an exclusive sportsbook and gifting users a bonus: a freebet worth up to 100 USD with promo code NAVITALITY.

Match of LeGGends: Double Down will be streamed in two languages. Watch the English-language stream on NAVI and Team Vitality’s official Twitch channels, and watch in Ukrainian on the Maincast Twitch channel.

Asia

Skyesports and Realme Conclude Realme Campus Gaming League in Chennai: National Collegiate Esports Tournament Sees More Than 10,000 Players Participate

Published

3 days ago

October 3, 2024

Peter Tolan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Skyesports, a premier global IP and community builder for gaming and esports, and Realme have wrapped up the Realme Campus Gaming League, a national collegiate esports tournament.

The Grand Finals took place at the SIGMA Auditorium, Sri Sairaam Engineering College, Chennai, and witnessed the top 16 college teams from across India compete in Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) to crown the champions.

Galactic Wolves emerged victorious, securing the title and taking home INR 200,000 from the event’s total prize pool of INR 400,000. The fight went down to the penultimate game, where Galactic Wolves secured a first-place finish to climb to the top of the overall standings.

The Realme Campus Gaming League was launched with a mission to empower college students across India and provide them with a platform to showcase their esports talents in BGMI. The tournament attracted record participation, with more than 2,700 teams from over 200 colleges nationwide vying for a spot in the Grand Finals. To ensure the representation of local talent, Skyesports also organized a local qualifier at the Sri Sairaam Engineering College, with two teams earning their place in the Finals.

Adding to the excitement, renowned gaming personalities Jonathan Gaming and Jelly graced the Grand Finals, interacting with participants and sharing valuable feedback. Jonathan Gaming, fresh from his third-place finish in the BGMI Pro Series (BMPS) 2024 with GodLIke Esports in Kochi, inspired the young competitors with his insights and experience.

Commenting on the tournament, Shiva Nandy, Founder and CEO of Skyesports, said, “Partnering with Realme for the Campus Gaming League has been an incredible experience, as they share our commitment to developing grassroots esports. This tournament was not only a thrilling spectacle for esports fans, but it also offered a platform for college students across India to showcase their talent. The high participation highlights the immense potential at the grassroots level and underscores the importance of fostering and nurturing this talent for the future of Indian esports.”

A Realme spokesperson said, “We are thrilled to support the burgeoning collegiate esports scene in India through the Realme Campus Gaming League. At the LAN Finals in Chennai, players competed in the Realme 13+ 5G which proved to be a formidable device for esports players and casual gamers alike. The event saw over 10,000 participants and garnered more than 250,000 views on social media, showcasing the immense interest and engagement in esports at the grassroots level.”

The Realme Campus Gaming League has set a new benchmark for collegiate esports in India, further cementing Skyesports’ and Realme’s commitment to supporting esports at all levels.