Gaming is made for men – this idea is eventually fading away since more and more women enter the competitive scene these days. They participate in major international tournaments, win cash prizes, and gain worldwide fame, inspiring other females to join the community. An increased women’s presence in the scene has also sparked the popularity of esports betting online, with lots of fans visiting GGBet LT to earn cash by wagering on the most powerful female teams.
Women keep breaking down the gender barriers and reshaping the dynamic esports landscape. Let’s dig deeper into the issue to learn more about such a transformative evolution in the traditionally men-dominated gaming space.
Growing Presence of Women in Esports: Statistical Overview
Despite women making up nearly half of the gaming population, very few manage to break into the world of professional esports. However, things are getting much better as time goes on, and the figures prove this fact:
- Female esports competitions generated 28 million hours of viewership in 2023, which was almost 15% higher than in 2022 (23.76 million hours of viewership).
- Valorant was the most-watched game in women’s esports for 2023. The discipline accumulated 16.3 hours of viewership, surpassing the previous year’s figure by 48%. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was watched 9 million hours (a 22% increase compared to 2022), while the remaining 2.7 million hours were mainly attributed to Counter-Strike, Apex Legends, and League of Legends tournaments.
- Peak online ML:BB viewership made a huge leap from 392.4 thousand in 2022 to 1.37 million viewers in 2023 during the 32nd SEA Games Final between the national female teams of the Philippines and Indonesia.
- 32nd SEA Games was also the most-watched female esports competition generating 6.36 million hours of viewership in 2023, which accounted for more than 70% of all women’s Mobile Legends tournaments held during the year.
- Female players won more than $2.2 million in prize money in 2023, while over half of the funds were distributed in Valorant competitions.
Best Female Players Shaping the Esports Landscape
Female gamers are not just participants in different esports tournaments, they are trailblazers, winners, and influencers. Check out our list of the top 5 women who have shown their prowess in cybersports and impacted the landscape for good.
- Sasha Hostyn (‘Scarlett’): a professional StarCraft II player from Canada who is now considered the most skillful and highest-earning woman in competitive gaming, amassing a staggering $472,111. She started her journey in 2011 and has played over 260 matches since then. In 2016, Sasha was included in the Guinness Book of Records as a female esports player with the highest career earnings. In 2018, Forbes also called her one of the most powerful females in international sports.
- Rachell Hofstetter (‘Valkyrae’): a renowned esports player and streamer from the United States who is also a co-founder of the 100 Thieves brand and gaming organization. She has over 4 million followers on YouTube, and in 2022, Forbes called her the most influential female creator and streamer in the gaming space.
- Christine Chi (‘potter’): a coach for Evil Geniuses, who started her esports career in 2005 and, by 2012, won the Women’s Esports World Cup five times. After winning nine Counter-Strike qualifiers and tournaments, the American played as a Valorant pro for Evil Geniuses. Soon, Christine started to train the team and even led it to victory at the 2023 Valorant Champions. She was the first woman to win the Best 2023 Esports Coach from the Game Awards and the Esports Coach of the Year from the Esports Awards.
- Stephanie Harvey (‘MissHarvey’): a former Canadian CS player known for her strong activism in the esports landscape. She entered the scene in the 2000s, and besides earning 5 world champion titles, the woman also founded several organizations for supporting and advocating women in esports, including Missclicks and ELEVEY.
- Eefje Depoortere (‘Sjokz’): a Belgian TV presenter who hosted multiple LoL World Championships and also competed in different tournaments, representing her country on the international stage. Thanks to her game knowledge, broadcasting expertise, and charisma, Eefje has been named the Best Esports Host four years in a row since 2018. In 2024, she won the Sports Emmy in the category of Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage.