Deep strike! Playing gender in the world of overwatch the case of geguri

What is Esport

• Professional computer game tournaments

• global phenomenon

• male-dominated

Esport industry is growing

Very fast

History of esport: orgin

• South Korea

• First country to make Professional gamer associtiation

Current and emerging trends in esport research

1. Integrity issues

2. Violence and stigma in esport

3. Gaming addiction and mental health

4. Social inequality

5. Racism and ethnicity

6. Gender and esport

1. Integrity issues

1. Performance e-enhancing drugs (PED) and e-doping (cyber-doping) in esports

2. Match-fixing, hacking and gambling

2. Violence and stigma

1. Stigmas associated wiht esport participation

2. Esports athletes and aggressive behaviour

3. Gaming addiction and mental health

1. Gaming addiction

2. Mental health (anxiety, depression)

4. Social inequality

Player earnings (men vs women)

• men still make more

Racism and ethnicity

black people aren’t good gamers

6. Gender and esport

• masculine online harassment against women, and gendered expectations

  • Same gender discrimination as in physical sport

Despite clear differences between traditional sports and esports, many esports environments are shaped by the ______ _____ dominating other sporting contexts […] This is because the esports industry is organised by and for men, resulting in a highly masculine environment.

Hegemonic masculinity

Women’s struggles in and out of the gaming space

• 46% of the gamer population, only 5% of pro gamers are women.

• Women experience online harassment much more often than men within the game space. Viewed as less skillful then male

Gendered video game players

• Female

  • Low numbers

  • sexualized

• Male

  • Muscular

Gender pay gap in esports

No women are among the 400 highest esport players

Geek masculinity

• Masculinity judged on: intellectualism, technical knowledge and skill > physical prowess

• hegemonic intertwined with technological mastery

Does geek masc challenge toxic masc ?

• No, Geek and toxic are connected

  • Both still promote

    • Trolling, online harassment towards women

Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon

• 19-year-old professional Overwatch gamer

• New to esport arena of Overwatch, and gained attention because of her shooting precision and mastery of the Overwatch character, Zarya

Overwatch

• multi-player, FPS

• Blizzard Entertainment

• defend central points with limited amount of time

Case of Geguri

• Accused of using aim assist software by the opposing team (all males)

• Attempted to prove that she did not cheat by showing herself playing a game in a monitored studio

• Korean branch of the Overwatch game publisher acknowledged she did not use aim assist software

• Viewers’ recognizing her precision and speed through supportive comments and tweets

• Harassment - targeting personal characteristics of Geguri (violent statement against her gender, appearance, and function as a female in society)

• The uproar also spawned a large female-fan base of Geguri

Analysis: discussion after geguri performance

• esport is still a mans world

• Sexism on how she looks

• Feminist initiatives

Analysis: the replies to Gegruis tweets

• post fem as anti fem:

• Fem backlash against post fem

• anti feminism: argued that gender doesn’t matter in gaming—only skill does—so feminists should stop pushing gender issues.

• against post feminism: Others said that feminism helped make space for players like Geguri, even if she doesn’t openly acknowledge it.

Post-feminism

• Believes feminism has already achieved gender equality.

  • consumer culture as space for empowerment as a space for empowerment.

    • Satc

Post-feminism in esport

Meritocracy over gender bias

• “Skill matters, not gender.”

Is post-feminism truly freeing for women

No

• Ignores ongoing discrimination and systemic barriers.

Summary

• deeply entrenched male dominance: Geguri being accused shows how male dominance in esports leads to women facing extra scrutiny.

• Her performance challenges gender norms by proving that skill isn’t tied to biological sex.