Photo: VCT
The sport is still a very masculine domain and women are still seen as a minority. But this minority is more and more visible and on Valorant, Riot Games is multiplying initiatives to move towards parity. In the long term, we can even dream of a mixed circuit… There is obviously still a long way to go, but when we look at the success of the Game Changers Championship, the Women’s Worlds of Valorant, we can only be optimistic for the future. The players of G2 Gozen have shone and can serve as models and sources of inspiration… We think in particular of Maryam “Mary” Maher, 16. Decisive during the final, she showed that despite her young age she already had everything a great.
The organizers do not intend to stop on such a good path and to 2023, they have already drawn up a road map. The female Valorant scene has a bright future ahead of it.
The creation of a real women’s league with several levels
In 2022, the female scene was based on spaced tournaments (of the Series) which did not necessarily have links between them. But the structure of the scene will take on a new dimension in 2023 within the greater EMEA region. As with men, there will be a real league with an organized schedule. This will make it possible to professionalize the players with regular meetings and a schedule known in advance.
The EMEA League (Game Changers EMEA) will be played at 16 teams and will allow the best to qualify for the Game Changers Championship (Worlds). We should find the big teams that already exist like G2 Gozen and Guild X. But with 16 places, there are still a lot of tickets to be awarded. We already know that below the main league, there will be a 2nd level: the Game Changers Contenders which will allow access to the first division. This 2nd level will be accessible via Open Qualifiers.
Academic teams and amateur tournaments
The best players in the region will therefore have to populate the two levels of the EMEA league: EMEA Game Changers (div 1) and the Game Changers Contenders (div 2). But Riot Games wants to talk to as many players as possible to bring out new talent and encourage diversity. Therefore, non-professional players will also have a space to express themselves.
- EMEA Game Changers Academy : a space for learning and sharing knowledge with the intervention of well-known personalities and skills via conferences.
- Emergent Game Changers : a kind of “Champions Queue” that will allow Radiant ranked players to play together through a specific Discord server. There will be a leaderboard and rewards.
The Games Changers Championship have given their verdict and at the end of the suspense, the girls of G2 Gozen have been crowned Valorant world champions! In the grand finale, however, their fans must have been very scared. But this type of scenario makes victory even sweeter.