- Event aims to encourage more women in esports participation
- UK hosts first women’s pro gaming tournament with £15,000 prize
- Valorant, a popular first-person shooter, draws four pro teams
“A case of Red Bull” is what one of the competing women recollects from her past involvement in the competition. Teams will compete this weekend for a prize pool of £15,000.
On Saturday, the first professional women’s gaming Event of its kind begins in the United Kingdom.
The most-viewed esports game in women’s competitions, the first-person shooter Valorant, will be competed in by four professional gaming teams.
Organizers hope that bringing Europe’s finest teams together in the United Kingdom for the first time will encourage more women to participate in gaming.
“More people see that you, an outsider, can enjoy gaming, the more confident they will become and the more enjoyable it will be,” said streamer and host Meg ‘Megsoundslikeegg’ Gardner.
The participants are engaged in a two-day competition at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in London, vying for a £15,000 prize purse.
Michaela’mimi’ Lintrup, one of the finest Valorant players in the world and a professional gamer since the age of 18, remarked, “It was not as popular as it is now.”
The 26-year-old Dane further stated, “We competed for a case of Red Bull or some other item; there was no monetary prize pool.” “I played simply because I was enthusiastic about it and I enjoyed it.”
That, however, has changed.
Esports Charts, an industry aggregator, reports that viewers viewed over 28 million hours of professional women’s esports in the previous year. Typically, the competitions are broadcast on platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.
Those numbers do not even include viewers in China, where esports dominated traditional sports at the 2023 Asian Games in terms of viewership.
Esports, which involve competitive video game play, resemble traditional sports in that they feature leagues, prizes, and throngs of supporters.
French competitor Mathilde ‘Nelo’ Beltoise, a member of the Karmine Corp team, remarked that the degree of fanaticism in France is unparalleled.
“Karmine Corporation is so enormous that you will be recognised wherever you go.” Each time I cross the street, I observe an individual donning the apparel. “It is enormous,” she exclaimed.
Teachers’ parents became more receptive to the notion of their child pursuing a career in video games due to the success of her team in France.
“A student occasionally dons a Karmine Corp jersey, and the instructor inquires, ‘Is that you?'” “They adore it at the moment,” she elaborated.
Professional gaming entails online streaming and international travel, which may sound glamorous, but it is essentially a nine-to-five employment.
We currently practice Monday through Friday but will add Sundays closer to the Event date, according to Lintrup.
“On average, each of our four daily games lasts for fifty minutes.” We can then briefly discuss the errors we committed [for ten minutes before the subsequent one]. After that, we will have approximately 1.5 hours of theory time.”
As the in-game commander of G2 Gozen, Lintrup’s responsibilities are comparable to those of a football captain.
She stated, “I will typically stream or review games following practice, which entails rewatching them and identifying errors.” I am required to exert a small amount of additional effort. “I adore the way it is.”
18 years old and from Derby, British competitor Sarah’sarah’ Ahmed is a Derby native. Six months ago, she began playing professionally. Her sibling sparked her interest in the gaming industry.
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She stated, “He had a laptop and I didn’t; therefore, I purchased my first personal computer when I was 16 years old, and it was at that time that I began playing video games like my brother.”
She is presently embarking on an international journey, having recently participated in the inaugural mixed-gender Event in Turkey. She recounted the exact instant she became aware of the Valorant women’s gaming community.
During my youth, I had no female companions who enjoyed video games, so any time I did, it was just the two of us; it was difficult to make female friends.
Consequently, upon observing a sizable community comprised primarily of females engaged in play, I was compelled to join.
Valorant was made available to the public during one of the COVID-19 lockdowns, a period characterized by an increase in video game usage. Host Meg Garner believes that the narrative format contributes to its greater appeal among women.
She stated, “Valorant excels at inclusivity, so you’ll find a large number of female characters who are not merely supporting characters, but rather formidable figures in the game.” “People are eager to choose them for play.”
The Red Bull Instalock tournament will be transmitted live on Twitch on Saturday and Sunday at 12 pm UK time.
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