Once dominated by men, the VALORANT esports scene in the Philippines is transforming significantly.
There has been a remarkable surge in the influence of women in the competitive gaming sphere.
Riot Games showed clear support for women in the competitive scene through the annual VCT Game Changers.
They are doing much more than that.
In three years, GGP has raised over 150,000PHP for various charities.
Riot Games also did a workshop and introduced these young girls to gaming and esports.
GosuGamers did a quick interview with Courtney Sayson, one of the founders of Gamer Girls Philippines.
(Courtney Courbs Sayson, GGP Co-founder)
How did you land the opportunity to collaborate with Riot?
What are the challenges you faced?
We never expected it.
We vowed never to do it again.
We just didnt have the manpower, funds, and time to handle a tournament.
But a few days later, one day, we received an email from RIOT Games themselves!
They were looking to partner with our community for their upcoming tournament.
Of course, we had to say yes because we know how much our community loves Valorant.
Its one of the most, if not, the most popular game within our community.
As a woman leader, Believe in yourself and your abilities.
Do not be afraid to pursue opportunities even if they seem challenging or unconventional.
Gaming does not require any gender - we are all equal here.
Be confident in a way that you let them know you know what you are talking about.
More often than not, that is one of the few ways to make them respect you.
Be persistent in overcoming obstacles and advocating for your goals.
Whatever you want to pursue, try and do it.
If you failed the first time, retry.
Try and fail as long as you could still afford to.
Be the positive change that you want to see in this gaming industry.
Because at the end of the day, change comes from within.
How do you think all-girls tournaments help empower women in the esports scene?
I had to quit gaming for a time due to gender expectations.
And if you don’t know how to adjust and listen, this job is not for you.
Always remember that there are no easy jobs in any industry.
Do what you love, enjoy what you are doing and what makes you happy.
There will always be criticism.
An unofficial statistic report shows that 30-40% of VALORANT players are women.
This is deemed to be true as we see a lot of content creators and streamers are women.
This might not be true for other competitive games dominated by men.
Women creating a welcoming community for other women is also a huge contribution to making this safe space possible.
