From the Cradle to Battle: What Shapes the Careers of Female CS:GO Esports Players

Following the trajectory of gaming as a leisure activity, the world of high-performance professional gaming commenced as a male dominated field [41, 48] attracting reports of discrimination and abuse against female athletes [8, 12]. In this paper, we discuss experiences of a range of female CS:GO gamers, from those who held ambition to pursue professional careers to those who have experience as a professional esports player at-present or in the past. The study tracks participation in gaming at different points of their careers in order to explore motivations and resilience, as well as exposure to barriers in relation to their professional experiences or ambitions. In doing so, we also evaluate the socialising roles that support or discourage a career in gaming. A range of biographical accounts of gaming were collected via semi-structured interviews conducted with female gamers (n = 12), focusing on their experiences of playing competitive Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). CS:GO was selected as an extreme case due to particularly low number of women in its professional scene. A thematic analysis revealed a range of barriers that hold back the establishment and development of a professional career, and reveals the complex nature of professional acquaintances and friendships within esports.