Despite eSports surging popularity with gamers across the globe over the past two decades, like many other gaming segments, the industry has largely been male-dominated. It’s the male players who have typically been the highest earners in professional competitions. At the same time, the vast majority of video games themselves are still designed by men or with male players in mind.
However, for as long as there’s been a video gaming industry, there have been female players, and eSports is beginning to showcase the female talent in the sector. Several game developers and tournament organisers have introduced exclusive women’s tournaments, such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, CS:GO and League of Legends.
Game Changers
In 2022, Riot Games introduced the global eSports community to VCR Game Changers, a VALORANT tournament series exclusively for women. The initiative was a game-changer, pun intended, as it showcased the talent and professionalism of the best female gamers on the planet.
Prioritising inclusivity and gender parity is a smart move for the eSports industry as a whole, particularly as competitive video gaming becomes more mainstream.
Like traditional sports, eSports is now a popular betting market, with odds specialists such as OddsChecker listing bonuses and free wager promotions from leading bookmakers that eSports fans can use to back their favourite players and teams in upcoming tourneys. Widening the field to include female-only events gives fans more options, leading to more support and engagement with eSports betting.
Rising Stars in 2023
With the VCT Game Changers EMEA tournament about to kick off in April, here’s the lowdown on the talented female players to watch in 2023.
Melanie ‘meL’ Capone
Melanie “meL” Capone, C9 White player and in-game leader (IGL), is a consistent name on the leaderboard during the Game Changers event. Not only does she out perform most of her teammates, but she also makes short work of global Valorant players across multiple servers.
Having been part of the competitive scene since 2020, meL has built up a considerable career and has steered her team to the top of the leaderboard in each North American VCT Game Changers series since it began (with the exception of their third-place loss in the championship).
meL’s expertise spans multiple roles due to her comprehensive knowledge of the title. According to statistics, meL scored a KDA of 1.68 in the North American Game Changers Series — the highest of the event.
Maryam ‘Mary’ Maher
While the majority of the up-and-coming women eSports competitors hail from North America and Europe, Maryam’ Mary’ Maher is one of the most prominent players in the Middle East. The Bahraini player made history in 2022 when she won the Game Changers trophy playing for the G2 Gozen team. The pro team from Spain is currently based in Berlin and also includes Julia ‘Juliano’ Kiran, Michaela’ Mimi’ Litntrup and Petra Stoker on its roster.
As a versatile Sentinel, Mary can adeptly play Chamber, Sova, and Sage. Her stats over the last three months are particularly noteworthy. She tops the leaderboard with an average KDA of 1.30 and 240.3 ACS.
Julia ‘juliano’ Kiran
G2 Gozen player Julia’ juliano’ Kiran is new to Valorant but certainly not new to eSports. She ranks as a player with a high-profile career and an extensive list of accomplishments. She gained prominence in the pro gaming scene by winning multiple CS:GO titles during a ten-year period, including the DreamHack Showdown Valencia in 2019 and three Intel Challenge Katowice titles.
juliano switched to playing Valorant in 2021 and became G2 Gozen’s primary dualist. Despite being a dualist main, she is highly versatile and can play Neon, Yoru and Jett in the same best-of-three series, as demonstrated in the VCT Game Changers championship match against Guild X.
Bob ‘Bob’ Tran
Australia native Bob ‘Bob’ Tran joined the C9 squad last July following the departure of former initiator Annie Dro. While C9 missed out to G2 in terms of the 2022 trophy, nevertheless, Bob played a key role in maintaining C9’s position as a dominant force in the Game Changers series.
With her high-level Sova, Skye, and KAY/O gameplay, Bob has been a great asset to the team, with wins at the second and third Challengers series. In 2023, all eyes will be on C9 as they attempt to overcome G2.
