News Ticker

Women in eSports: Another Snub with the Overwatch League?

January 16, 2018 Article, Video Games 43

Soe and Jeff from Overwatch League Week 1
Soe and Jeff at Blizzard Arena for Week 1 of the Overwatch League
Share

As much of the nerdy world knows, Blizzard Entertainment’s Overwatch League launched this past week and as a fan of the game, it has not disappointed. In just the first week we’ve seen the supposed underdogs shine (here’s looking at you, Philadelphia Fusion – well played!), heavyweight teams get shut down, big stars absolutely dominate matches, high-quality production value entertainment, and of course, it wouldn’t be an Overwatch professional setup without teams of Koreans just decimating opponents. There’s not much else the OWLs can do better at this point.

…or is there?

Look at all the staff, all the players, all the commentators, and all the analysts; what do you see? Hard workers, amazing talent, professional analysis? You see all those things in spades without question. I guess the question is what do you not see? If you don’t have the answer I’m looking for, don’t worry. We’re pretty used to seeing this in many worlds and it is something of a problem. Here is what I’m getting at:

Where is the female representation?

You can count the number of female Blizzard employees and affiliates presented on a single hand, for the most part (though to be fair, we don’t see any of the behind the scenes workers). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve noticed a single referee (is that what they call it in OWL?) and a single analyst who is not of the male persuasion. Consider the amount of gender diversity you see in the crowd, and there is a huge misrepresentation there!

Now, let’s dedicate our time to celebrating female representation in Overwatch, shall we?

I alluded to that female analyst earlier: Salome “Soe” Gschwind-Penski. I can tell you, she is one of the highlights of that analyst team. Her knowledge is spot on, I’ve seen fewer mistakes in general from her, and she has one of the greatest accents ever. Before coming to the Overwatch League, she’s been hosting and commentating at tons of eSports events since 2007, shoutcasting all sorts of games including World of Warcraft, StarCraft II, Dota 2, and even hosting an eSports TV show in Germany.

You may be wondering right now: “but Jason, maybe there just aren’t any ladies good enough to compete in the league?” Stop right there and let me point you to Korea and a certain Overwatch player called Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon. She is a boss of a player. Her play was so good, she was accused of cheating and was challenged by two pro players who said they would quit the game if she could prove otherwise. She streamed her gameplay – along with hand movements and a full view of her entire setup – where she couldn’t install any questionable software and the results were clear. Once Blizzard confirmed she wasn’t cheating, those two pros quit. If you haven’t checked out her gameplay, you really should. I’m not saying I know whether she has been approached or not approached or if she specifically is or is not being snubbed for her gender; heck, maybe she doesn’t even have an interest in playing in the Overwatch League! But the point is made, dominant female Overwatch players are out there.

Look, I’m not saying that these types of things should be mandated; just be fair in your hiring practices. When your entire on-air and professional talent combined has a single female, performing for a crowd of people who appear to be roughly 50/50 on the gender spectrum there just might be a problem there. Steps should be taken to improve female representation. Do the due diligence and find those amazing female pros and contenders, give them legit consideration, and move beyond the status quo. Our eSport will be so much better for it.

What can we do to help? Support female gamers on their Twitch streams and YouTube accounts, make comments and raise awareness on your social media platforms, and encourage Blizzard and the teams of the OWL to seek out and consider female talent. Treat female gamers with the respect that you show other gamers; they can be good, they can be serious, and they can be just as entertaining as men in the same role.

/endsocialjusticerant

Source Info
http://liquipedia.net/overwatch/Soembie

https://kotaku.com/korean-woman-kicks-ass-at-overwatch-gets-accused-of-ch-1782343447

After publishing, an edit was made to clarify the point being made about women existing that are good enough to play professionally.

Jason

Jack-Of-Many-Trades | Continually Multiclassing | Grey Jedi

If it’s a thing and it’s nerdy, this guy wants to do it. Self-taught and self-proclaimed photographer, programmer, and musician, self-described as lazy, indulgent, and pedantic. Give him a task and he’ll do it, except for maritals. Only his wife gets the maritals.

Find Jason on twitter at @jasonkylesmith and on instagram at jasonksmith84
Share

Related Articles

43 Comments on Women in eSports: Another Snub with the Overwatch League?

  10. https://greenpitanie.ru – Наш сайт создан, для того, чтобы Вы поняли насколько важно правильно питаться. Вы узнаете всё о правильном питании, о спортивном питании, о диетах и т.д.

    Reply

  16. https://musicin.ru – На нашем сайте Вы найдете разную информацию о музыкальном оборудовании: статьи, блоги и отзывы, а так же отзывы об оборудовании.

    Reply

  17. https://firesaver-msk.ru – Любое сегодня современное сооружение здание, производство или небольшая компания, фабрика, предприятие – все они нуждаются в полной пожаробезопасности. Российским законодательством регламентируется соблюдение противопожарных мер, по этой причине все …

    Reply

  18. https://room-interier2020.ru – Наша задача – помочь Вам найти вдохновение, для улучшения Вашего дома или квартиры. Дадим совет, чтобы Вы смогли насладиться комфортом своего жилья понастоящему

    Reply

  20. https://dieta-pravilnomsk.ru – Правильное питание — это важно. От него зависит ваше самочувствие и тонус в целом. Наш сайт посвящен здоровью, правильному питанию и диетам.

    Reply

  22. https://topmedical-research.ru – В нашей жизни нет ничего, важнее нашего здоровья и здоровья наших детей. Мы предлагаем Вам самую актуальную подборку статей о медицине и исследованиях.

    Reply

  23. https://interer-master.ru – Наш сайт создан помочь Вам освоить строительство и дать оригинальные идеи для дизайна вашего дома, квартиры или любого другого помещения.

    Reply

  24. https://deepspace-stars.ru – Если Вы с детства мечтали о космических приключениях, интересовались астрономией и астрофизикой – то наш ресурс создан именно для Вас! Море статей на тему космоса.

    Reply

  27. https://mediatop77.ru – Наш портал обеспечит Вам актуальные новости на каждый день, полезные статьи на любые темы, рассказы из популярных блогов и многое другое.

    Reply

  28. https://izuchenie-yazykov365.ru – Уникальнейшая школа в Москве по обучению всех желающих разным языкам. Наша школа объединила в себе уникальные форматы обучения и новые его возможности.

    Reply

  30. https://a290.ru – Хотите стать дизайнером одежды, интересуетесь высокой модой, трендами и подиумом? Дизайн одежды и создание одежды — лучшие статьи о моде и подиуме.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


Copyright Wampaslayer 2019