You Can’t Be a Good Gamer if You’re Female

Photo by Joel Stylis on Unsplash

I’m female and I freaking love video games.

No, I’m not the stereotypical “gamer girl” flashing her cleavage and holding a gaming controller in an awkward angle (bump that).

I’ve been a player since the Super Nintendo (SNES) was all the rage. One of my latest gaming fascinations is Overwatch. With it, I’m happy to see Overwatch as one of the many games initiating the rise of eSports with the Overwatch League (OWL).

However, I’ve noticed a lack of female eSports athletes in the arena. The possible culprits: gaming toxicity and false cheating accusations. It’s like you can’t be a good gamer if you’re female.

Something’s Wrong If You Play Better Than the Boys

Back in 2016, upset gamers have accused Korean player Se-Yeon “Geguri” Kim of cheating after her performance in the Overwatch Nexus Cup. Upset players believed Geguri was using an aimbot to help her take out her enemies.

To lay the accusations to rest, Geguri produced a live streaming video showing off her amazing gameplay. The accusers, opponents from the Nexus Cup, bet they would leave if she were found innocent. They did.

Geguri now plays for the Shanghai Dragons.