New program designed to create new opportunities for women and other marginalized genders in VALORANT
In the midst of the currently running Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), Riot Games today announced the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Game Changers program, a new initiative which will supplement the competitive season by creating new opportunities and exposure for marginalized genders within VALORANT.
The VCT Game Changers Series is a set of top tier competitions that will take place around the world throughout 2021. Two core competitive initiatives makeup Game Changers – the VCT Game Changers Series and the VCT Game Changers Academy.
“Game Changers will provide tournaments and development programs for women who want to take their game beyond competitive ladder play. With VALORANT esports, we're committed to fostering an inclusive environment for competition and creating safe opportunities for women to compete without fear of identity or gender-based harassment.” - Whalen Rozelle, the Sr. Director of Esports at Riot Games.
“Competing in games as a woman can be a daunting task, oftentimes resulting in a very real competitive disadvantage. While we’re addressing this challenge in-game, with improvements to chat, voice communications, and mitigation of griefing, we also see an opportunity to take another step with esports.” - VALORANT Executive Producer, Anna Donlon.
The VCT Game Changers Academy program will be hosting monthly tournaments, to give players opportunities to compete at the semi-pro and grassroots level. Academy events will be organized in partnership with GALORANTs, one of the largest communities within VALORANT. GALORANTs previously helped organize the “For the Women Summer Showdown” tournament in September 2020. Both the VCT Game Changers Series and Academy will help build the next generation of leaders who aspire to succeed with the competitive VALORANT community.
The establishment of the VCT Game Changers will be a good first step in promoting inclusivity among VALORANT players around the world, especially among marginalized genders. This is in line with what we have talked previously on how to increase more female participation in esports, and to foster a safe environment for them to nurture their skills in the game.
