Even though the number of women players has been increasing by the day, women players are still marginalized in the Esports industry. Esports world is highly competitive and though there are women players involved, it is only a fraction compared to their male counterparts. If you check out sites like PlayersHive that give you the latest information about esports teams and players, you will see how few women players are involved in esports.
There are very few women players in Esports that are as successful as male players. It is a fact that a very tiny part of the millions that gamers win is going to female gamers in the Esports industry. Esports competitions that take place around the world most often target men rather than women gamers.
It is not new to know that women in any field are subjected to harassment from their male counterparts. It may not be physical harassment but emotional harassment is also a deterrent for many women gamers. It is not easy to break into the world of Esports which predominantly encourages male players.
The ratio of Women Players against Male Players
It begins early, at the college and university levels. How many female coaches have you seen in colleges or universities? It is a small number for sure. When you see only male coaches dominating the scene, it is not encouraging for females to enter that space.
This is seen even at home, a lot of women players are introduced to the Esports industry through their brothers or male friends. This is one of the many reasons why we see women players are very few in numbers as opposed to male gamers.
Male Players Attitude
It is observed that male gamers create hostile situations for female gamers that discourage female gamers. They tend to show off their masculinity by belittling women gamers and name-calling. It is difficult to break into the male-dominated Esports industry.
To avoid such hostile situations, women gamers often times use false male names to hide their identity and avoid dominance. Esports chats are evidence of the male toxicity against women gamers in Esports. Women players are marginalized in this industry, only one woman player is taken on a team to be used as a gaming tactic not as a real gamer.
Women Gaming Influencers vs Women Players
You might think there are many women players out there in Esports but are they really involved in the top-notch competitive world of Esports? Most often not. There are several women gaming influencers but not enough women players that earn as much profit by playing.
The Esports industry oftentimes encourages influencers over real women gamers to bring in the glam quotient.
Final Word
There should be equal representation of male and female players in the Esports industry. There are thousands of women gamers that engage in video games that actually fall under Esports. The agencies that are responsible for creating opportunities for gaming tournaments and more should encourage women players. Creating participation opportunities without any discrimination is a must to increase the number of women players in the Esports industry.