Levelling the Playing Field: A Look into Gender Diversity in Esports

All figures are drawn from my own research, conducted in May 2025. All figures correct at time of publication. For the sake of ease, I’m going to refer to women and non-binary students as “W&NB” in this article.

With a few recent conflicts arising in the political landscape, particularly those centering on gender equality and inclusivity, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that this is not just a passing concern or trend. It's clear now more than ever that there is a real, tangible need for safe, supportive spaces in every single community for women and non-binary members to exist, express themselves, and thrive. Esports, like many other growing industries, is no exception to this need—it’s absolutely dominating social media platforms, making regular appearances on sports broadcasts, and is even carving out a significant presence in the university scene. This is why we’re at a crucial, potentially make-or-break point: with almost every woman, trans, and non-binary identifying individual feeling underrepresented or even completely excluded in the space, inclusive initiatives are not just helpful—they must be established, nurtured, and prioritized.

Luckily, there is hope, and thankfully, many companies and organizations are actively taking steps in the right direction towards creating safer and more inclusive spaces within the ever-expanding world of esports. Take NSE, for example—they run their termly Women & Non-Binary brackets for their most popular games alongside the regular student cups that are open to all university students. These brackets aren’t just token gestures; they provide vital spaces for underrepresented groups to participate competitively without the fear of discrimination. Have you heard of these? Shockingly, well over a third of respondents (a substantial 37.5%) said they didn’t even know any tournaments or events specifically for women and non-binary players existed at all! That statistic is pretty telling, right? For many students, myself included, sports—whether traditional or digital—play a huge role in shaping their time at university. From the social side of meeting new people and forming friendships, to the competitive thrill of training and winning, sports can really shape the overall student experience in a meaningful way. Personally, I honestly think I’d have dropped out if I hadn’t found the esports team—it was that big of a deal to me. So, there’s a really big likelihood that many W&NB students out there are missing out on the chance to get involved with all the incredible things that esports can bring to the student experience, and honestly, that sucks!

So, why do W&NB players feel so underrepresented in esports in the first place? It’s a question with unfortunately predictable answers. Almost every response in the feedback we received said something about experiencing or witnessing sexist comments and remarks being made during gaming. These weren’t isolated incidents either. Some of the examples included the classic “you play like a girl” (which is totally not a bad thing, by the way!), constant verbal abuse from other players during competitive matches, and my personal favourite in the most sarcastic way possible: the age-old comparison of a real woman to a dishwasher. Yep—there’s definitely some real charmers in the gaming world! But it didn’t stop there. A few respondents went even further, mentioning something even more systemic and disheartening: the ingrained preference for men that seems to dominate not just among casual players, but also across the professional side of the industry too. There’s a noticeable and undeniable difference between the number of male and female casters in esports, and one respondent even mentioned they’ve received fewer casting opportunities than their male counterparts, despite having the same level of experience and skill. Another respondent pointed out that the number of men on esports committees massively outnumbers W&NB members, making it difficult—if not impossible—for them to get proper support when they want to run events designed to welcome and support new W&NB players. That kind of imbalance doesn’t just create barriers—it reinforces them.

It’s very clear that there are a number of important steps that need to be taken, but what specific changes do W&NB players actually want to see? One common suggestion that came up a lot in responses was the desire to add more game titles to existing W&NB tournaments. Sure, it’s great that Valorant, League of Legends, and Overwatch players can compete, but come on—there are way more games out there than just those three! I’d definitely love to see a W&NB Mario Kart tournament someday—can someone get on that, please? It’d be so fun! Beyond game selection, I also saw a lot of people calling for stricter, more consistent punishments for misogyny in esports spaces. It feels like everyone who’s ever played online has seen something misogynistic at some point, yet how many of us can honestly say we’ve reported it? And out of those who have, how many truly feel that the issue was appropriately dealt with afterward? Misogyny, along with homophobia, affects us all—it doesn’t just affect those who identify as W&NB. Support from men and other identity groups is absolutely vital if we’re going to see real change. That support can take many forms—whether it’s backing actual campaigns, having a “W&NB caster quota” to ensure representation, making a deliberate effort to hire more W&NB professionals, or even just openly addressing the problem in public spaces and online communities. All of these actions matter.

As I mentioned before, there are some companies out there that are genuinely doing amazing work to drive positive change in this space—NSE with their Women & Non-Binary-specific tournaments, British Esports with their Be The Change Summit and their dedicated “Women in Esports” initiative, and the*gamehers with their inspiring Ambassador Programme that helps bring more gaming opportunities to women. UNiDAYS LVL UP has given some great opportunities to W&NB student gamers. Myself, and a majority of the other students on their Student Ambassador Programme identify as W&NB, and Eloise, another of the student brand ambassadors has made content surrounding her experiences! She said “this is a clip of one of the worst experiences i have ever had. we had literally just loaded into the game, and i spoke in vc and got SO MUCH blatant misogyny and sexism from the other men in the lobby”, referring to this clip. One amazing quote I saw in the answers really stood out to me, and I think it’s worth repeating here: “Visibility is a band aid to toxic cultures that are still prominent within gaming and esports.” That really hits home, doesn’t it?​

It’s honestly on all of us—every single person who loves gaming and cares about the future of esports—to start doing what we can to create a more inclusive, welcoming environment in the space we all share and love. If you’re a member of your university’s esports committee, or even just someone who’s part of the society, why not suggest running some more W&NB-friendly events? You might be surprised at the impact you could make. We can fight sexism and discrimination in gaming together by talking about it, teaming up and holding the people around us accountable.

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