Two people awake excited at what is ahead. Both take what they do very seriously. They are both skilled at their work. They both trained hard, attended every class, seized every opportunity to learn and achieve expert-level status. They both deserve to be where they are in the field – no cutting corners. Passionate, focused, kick-ass maneuvers, and loving every outcome. Yet, one will face ridicule, insults, demoralising verbal attacks, and mental health slam dunks, all because a difference lies in their libido.
The intro to this article describes the reality of many industries, but the one most concerning at the moment is the rapidly emerging “esports” (electronic sports). Esports primarily involve youths and younger adults, and seeing/hearing the treatment of females working in this industry is profoundly disturbing.
It is disturbing because it starkly showcases a mindset and set of behaviours from older generations (in relation to females and those who identify as female) that have cascaded to current generations. Esports involve eye and hand coordination, intense concentration, and so much more. Getting good at the games requires skill, tactical aptitude, and top-notch equipment. Gender has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Michael Kimmel, in his “Venus, Mars, or Planet Earth? Women and Men in a New Millennium” lecture, indicated that men and women want the same things on both a social and political level, and that the perceived differences between them are ultimately a social construct.
Constructs can be deconstructed. We know the impacts the social constructs of old have caused, and we know supposed commitments have been made to accept diversity (D), create equality (E), and impart inclusion (I). There has also been commitment to rework the underlying systems supporting a lack of DEI in society, and eradicate privilege biases.
Therefore, the current propensity of the esports industry to diminish female players as simply “streamers”, while embracing their male counterparts as roster players, is not demonstrative of heading in the right direction. It is astounding that in 2021 there are prominent female players enduring persecution and degrading attacks during streams. One such player, Lulu Lovely, had even recently chosen to prematurely shut down her stream because of the intense backlash.
I’ve always proclaimed my hope on youths and young adults to correct the mistakes of the past. They are already headed in the right direction by being more inclusive than other generations, but it is clear that there is still work to be done. Esports is their sandbox, and it is growing. In fact, it is taking off in a big way, which means getting the attention of investors and other interested parties, many of whom may carry old-school thinking. This is the time to elevate our awareness that correction is needed, and a zero tolerance for such behaviour should be embedded in Code of Conduct guidelines, practices, scrimmages, and events/tournament behavioural expectations. That means more than just words written on a public post.
Scouting for players should be inclusive and go beyond gender. Prominent esports companies such as TSM or Cloud9 should instill an intent for rosters to have diverse players that include females. In preparing for this article, I could not find any roster players for TSM (based on a list of 100 names) that were female. The prominent females were streamers, which is akin to sports broadcasters in the world of professional sports. I am happy to be corrected if I missed anything.
Please bear in mind, however, that the solution is not making a “female-only” anything, as was done by Cloud9 with the game Valorant. In traditional sports, physique has a bearing on performance, so a separation via sex seemed logical and acceptable at the time. However, with esports, physique is irrelevant in performance, which means male and female players can be logically intermixed in the same way as is currently done for chess. Yet, we see through executions, such as with Cloud9 and Valorant, that females are already being cast in the same old social constructs of the past. Valorant was marketed as a step in the right direction, but is it? Esports create a leveled playing field, and the systems supporting that industry should be established with that equality in mind. Those same systems should also be built with inclusion in mind. Making these types of changes requires courage and vision.
Fortunately, not everyone in esports agrees with how females are treated. There are ongoing tweets, chats, commentary, and online posts denouncing such behaviour. But, as with most things significant and important, the world likes to spin tons of discussions, across many forums, and progress little in the actual pursuit of change. Our focus has been to advance technology in massive ways, but when it comes to social advancements – “massive” is not a word that can be used. Social change requires us to think and act differently. Change is difficult for most, especially when it comes to shifting mindsets or behavioural resets. That is where courage comes in. That kind of courage, in relation to the treatment and handling of females aiming to grow big in esports, can come from new and emerging esports companies (especially those under female leadership). Such companies must see that in thinking and acting differently there lies opportunity and legacy to bring about meaningful change. Team Inferno, under the leadership of Jasmine Randolph (a.k.a. Jazzrez), is one such organisation that is courageously hedging for those opportunities.
Yes, everyone needs to put food on the table, but sometimes decisions have greater implications than just dollar signs. When considering signing options, players need to assess each organisation’s leadership, roster lineups, core culture and values, and Codes of Conduct to see how diverse and inclusive they really are. They must also observe that their words (verbal and written) match their actions, etc. Getting a leveled playing field in true DEI means not accepting the status quo actions. It requires all of us to construct new thinking, which leads to new actions that produce new results. Making the wrong choice(s) could give you more money and reach, but could also deliver more stress, mental health challenges, and diminish your love of the game. It could also mean a mature esports industry repeating the same old male-female construct, and wouldn’t that be a shame? Esports growth is upon us, but at what cost if biases and old-school traditions are left unchecked?
