In the past, video games had been a male-dominated genre and, as a result, some players have adopted the prejudiced notion that women cannot play such games (Darvin et al., 2021). The prejudiced thinking that women do not belong in the gaming world can be manifested in the form of male players verbally harassing their female teammates by making misogynistic or sexual comments, or by doubting their competency in-game (Darvin et al., 2021). This is known as "gender zoning," which is "the use of treatment discrimination and harassment by male gamers to push women and girls away from participating in specific games or game genres and in online communities" (Darvin et al., 2021). Unfortunately, Valorant is not an exception to gender zoning.

Although women have recently been more involved in the gaming world, they remain in the minority of Valorant players, as women make up 30% to 40% of the player demographic (Takahashi, 2021a). In FPS games such as Valorant, communication between teammates is key to success, and voice communication. However, many women are hesitant to use voice chat out of fear of being identified as a woman based on their voice and subsequently being harassed (Darvin et al., 2021; Hayday & Collison, 2020). As a result of this harassment, female players lose confidence in their skills and are discouraged from continuing to play (S. J. Kim & Y. S. Kim, 2022).

(thugsnail, 2022)

(vkimm, 2022)

If the previous two videos were uncomfortable to watch, I assure you, it is much more uncomfortable to be on the receiving end. It is clear that aggressive slurs and comments about "dying like a woman fucking should" (thugsnail, 2022) are no longer about the game; instead, in these instances, Valorant has become a platform for toxic male players to vocalize such abusive remarks at women. I believe the move towards making Valorant a more welcoming platform for female players can be achieved through a top-down method, beginning with addressing the lack of all-women teams in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). This, Mr. Needham, is where you come in.

In a study where female gamers were interviewed regarding their experiences while playing video games, participants noted a lack of women playing video games, and more notably, a lack of female role-models within the gaming community (Darvin et al., 2021). Studies suggest that by increasing the portrayal of professional female gamers, more women are encouraged to play (Hayday & Collison, 2020) and gender bias in gaming may be reduced (S. J. Kim & Y. S. Kim, 2022). Riot Games has already taken a step in this direction by featuring teams comprised of women and other marginalized genders in the VCT Game Changers Series (VCTGCS) (Rozelle, 2021).

While I do not deny that the Game Changers Series is a great opportunity for women to enter the professional eSports scene, I believe that it only separates women from the main VCT series even more. Instead of having both male and female teams compete against each other, they are separated into series of their own. Instead, I believe that including all-women teams in the main VCT circuit would be more effective at eliminating the prejudice against women in video games.

Unlike traditional sports, there exists no physical difference between male and female eSports players that require having two separate professional leagues (Takahashi, 2021a). However, due to the lack of women in professional eSport tournaments, they are subjected to stereotypes of being inferior to their male counterparts, or are seen as outsiders by men (S. J. Kim & Y. S. Kim, 2022). Studies suggest otherwise, that female gamers perform just as well as male gamers, but they are limited by toxic environments in gaming created by men's dominance in the genre and by stereotypes and harassment (S. J. Kim & Y. S. Kim, 2022).

It is important to consider that toxic male gamers who do not take their female counterparts seriously are unlikely to watch the Game Changers series as it is a tournament for women. If the specific demographic of toxic male players is not able to see that women are more than capable of playing just as well as their male counterparts, it is unlikely that their minds are going to change regarding female competency in video games. In order for female players to be seen as equals by toxic male players, then, they should be included in the main VCT circuit. In doing so, this would eliminate the stereotype that women are incompetent at Valorant. Because 85% of eSports players are also eSports spectators (Tang et al., 2021), VCT serves as an ideal platform to set an example for players and to show toxic players that women are more than capable to play alongside male Valorant professionals.

(Riot Games, n.d.)

Making way for women

I do not believe that the Game Changers series should be eliminated yet, as it remains to be an excellent platform for female eSports professionals to gain exposure. Instead, it should be connected to the main VCT Circuit. I suggest that the best teams from each region in the Game Changers series should earn a spot in the Ascension tournaments, with VCTGCS acting as the equivalent of the regional VCT Challengers tournaments.

This allows women to use the Game Changers series as their own platform to gain exposure as well as an opportunity to participate and compete in the main VCT circuit, as should be their right. As a result, all-women teams are guaranteed the chance to play in the International League with their male equivalents. When women are able to participate in professional eSports tournaments, research suggests that success in achieving gender equality in gaming is more likely (S. J. Kim & Y. S. Kim, 2022).

Of course, backlash at the inclusion of all-women teams is to be expected, likely from the same men who do not believe women belong in gaming. It is imperative to anticipate hateful comments towards professional female teams and implement increased moderation of live chat boxes during livestreams of tournaments as well as moderation of crowds at in-person events. Viewers in attendance at in-person tournaments should be removed from the premises when heckling becomes excessive and/or is particularly directed towards women. In order to ensure that all professional players have a safe space to compete in tournaments, it is important to address, as well as take into consideration, the harassment that is more notably directed towards female players (Czakó et al., 2023).

Current Challengers

Promotion Path

Modified promotion path

(Riot Games, n.d.)

Untapped potential

As is the case with all gaming companies, the growth of the brand and the attraction of players is a priority (Hayday & Collison, 2020). In an interview with the Washington Post, you, Mr. Needham, revealed how important VCT was to increasing Valorant's player count (Klimentov, 2022). The fact of the matter is that the lack of women participation in gaming is because mainstream eSports tournaments such as VCT do not appeal to women consumers (S. J. Kim & Y. S. Kim, 2022). By including and supporting all-women teams in VCT, it interests female viewers in not only watching, but playing the game as well.

If there is a direct correlation between increase in VCT viewership and increase in player count, as you suggested in the same interview, including women in VCT would allow you to tap into an overlooked part of your demographic - women. By featuring successful all-women teams in VCT, you are creating in-game role models that encourage more women to play (Hayday & Collison, 2020). If Riot Games is about diversity and women's rights, about "being fair and protecting our integrity as a sport" (Klimentov, 2022), it is time to make Valorant a safe space for everyone to play, beginning with VCT.

Level up

The business model upon which eSports has been built has done little to protect consumers, female consumers in particular, from sexism and other forms of toxicity within competitive gaming (Hayday & Collison, 2020). It is the responsibility of the eSports industry, as well as stakeholders such as yourself, to protect consumers (Czakó et al., 2023). The top-down method I suggested focuses on improving gaming conditions for female eSports professionals in VCT to eliminate the stigma that women are not proficient at Valorant.

In general, eSports is rooted in a sense of community between players, and is thought of as a space to belong (Hayday & Collison, 2020). Valorant should not be an exception. It is clear that both Riot and yourself strive to make Valorant a game that is inclusive to everyone (Takahashi, 2021b). While the Game Changers program has taken the first steps towards gender equality in Valorant, it is time to make bigger strides towards an all-inclusive platform.

The power is in your hands, Mr. Needham.

The question is, what will you choose to do with it?

Micah Valdez is a second year student in the Professional Writing Program at York University. She is passionate about incorporating as many of her interests into her writing as possible, video games being one of many pastimes.

Czakó, A., Király, O., Koncz, P., Yu, S. M., Mangat, H. S., Glynn, J. A., Romero, P., Griffiths, M. D., Rumpf, H. J., & Demetrovics, Z. (2023). Safer eSports for players, spectators, and bettors: Issues, challenges, and policy recommendations. Journal of behavioral addictions, 12(1), 1–8. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/10.1556/2006.2023.00012

Darvin, L., Holden, J., Wells, J., & Baker, T. (2021). Breaking the glass monitor: examining the underrepresentation of women in esports environments. Sport Management Review, 24(3), 475–499. https://doi.org/10.1080/14413523.2021.1891746

Hayday, E. J. & Collison, H. (2020). Exploring the Contested Notion of Social Inclusion and Gender Inclusivity within eSport Spaces. Social Inclusion, 8(3), 197–208. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v8i3.2755

Kim, S. J., & Kim, Y. S. (2022). Gender Inequality in eSport Participation: Exploring the Social Process of Women eSport Consumers. Journal of Sport Behavior, 45(4), 79+. https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/apps/doc/A743647618/AONE?u=yorku_main&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fd2e19b9

Klimentov, M. (2022, September 20). ‘Valorant’ eSports is Entering a New Era. It Took some ‘Hard’ Choices. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/esports/2022/09/20/valorant-partnership-john-needham-esports/

Riot Games. (n.d.). Challenger Promotion Path [Infographic]. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://valorantesports.com/vct-overview

Riot Games. (n.d.). Valorant Game Changers Killjoy Banner [Digital Art]. Riot Games. https://valorantesports.com/vct-overview

Riot Games. (n.d.). Red Valorant V Logo [Logo]. Riot Games. https://www.riotgames.com/en/press?category=riot-logos#assets

Rozelle, W. (2021, February 23). VCT Game Changers. Play Valorant. https://playvalorant.com/en-us/news/esports/vct-game-changers/

Takahashi, D. (2021a, June 14). How Riot Games Will Ensure that Valorant’s Esports Stars Include Women. GamesBeat. https://venturebeat.com/games/how-riot-games-wants-to-ensure-that-valorants-esports-stars-include-women/

Takahashi, D. (2021b, November 21). Riot Games’ John Needham Talks about the Future of eSports. GamesBeat. https://venturebeat.com/esports/riot-games-john-needham-talks-about-the-future-of-esports/

Tang, T., Cooper, R., & Kucek, J. (2021). Gendered Esports: Predicting Why Men and Women Play and Watch Esports Games. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 65(3), 336–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2021.1958815

thugsnail. (2022, December 1). being a woman on VALORANT [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDUepiCGuMs

vkimm. (2022, April 12). the female experience [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6P8H3hL1ao