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The Challenges of Esports Female Athletes Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 29 (2): 1415 - 1429 (2021) SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES Journal homepage: http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/ Male Dominant Sport: The Challenges of Esports Female Athletes Nur Hafizah Yusoff* and Yuza Haiqal Mohd Yunus Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Centre of Social, Development and Environment, Faculty Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Malaysia ABSTRACT This article discusses the challenges experienced by female athletes in esports. Esports is categorized as a male-dominated sport. Since most of the players are male, female athletes struggle to sustain their careers. A qualitative approach was used where ten women who were actively involved in esports were interviewed. The respondents selected through the purposive sampling method were active in esports, representing esports team/club, and involved in massively multiple online role-playing games (MMORPG). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and presented descriptively and narratively. The findings indicated gender stereotyping women as not competitive at MMORPG, sexually explicit comments from male opponents, communication issues, especially with male players, and the perception that women are not suitable to play the extreme, aggressive and masculine ARTICLE INFO type of online games. The game features Article history: are more significant to men compared to Received: 23 February 2021 Accepted: 15 May 2021 women, who are often associated with Published: 30 June 2021 femininity. Indirectly, such impressions DOI: https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.29.2.35 hamper the opportunity for women to be more active and progressive in esports. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (Nur Hafizah Yusoff) [email protected] (Yuza Haiqal Mohd Yunus) Keywords: Female athletes, esports, gender, minority, *Corresponding author sociology, stereotype ISSN: 0128-7702 e-ISSN: 2231-8534 © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press Nur Hafizah Yusoff and Yuza Haiqal Mohd Yunus INTRODUCTION to express themselves (Salleh & Ilham, The advancement in information 2017) through the skills and techniques technology has led to the growing usage of the games they play. In 2017, Mineski of the internet among users for various Events Team (MET) President Kenchi Yap purposes globally. Apart from the emerging announced the national esports competition, social media applications that facilitate the the Malaysian Esports League (MESL), communication process (Salleh et al., 2019), which was the largest DOTA 2 competition technological and digital developments also to date in Malaysia with a cash prize of up made a difference in the sports world. Online to RM500,000 to encourage the country’s video games on computers and smartphones youth and overseas players to participate attracted children, teenagers, and adults. (Hayes, 2007). The significant amount of In the past, online video games were not prizes is one of the major attractions in this considered to be beneficial to players. sport (Yusoff et al., 2020). Esports is a computer-based sport Malaysian esports icons include ‘Mushi’ played by professional players or gamers Chai Yee Fung, ‘Ohaiyo’ Khoo Chong Xin, in formal competition between teams via ‘MidOne’ Cheng Yeik Nai, and ‘Ah Fu’ Tue an electronic system (Edward, 2013). Soon Chuan, who have successfully raised Many popular video game genres were the country’s name in the international contested, for instance, Strategy Base Game, arena (Lee & Schoenstedt, 2011). Esports First Person Shooter (FPS), Multiplayer are monopolized by young people around Online Battle Arena (MOBA), and Player the age of 16 to 30. On May 1, 2015, the Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). In Malaysian Electronic Sports Association Malaysia, strategy-based computer games was officially launched to focus on electronic such as Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA2) games competition and related promotional and League of Legends (LOL) are of interest activities. The association was registered among adults. These two games are based with the Malaysian Sports Commission. on the online battlefield strategy involving Men still monopolize the majority of esports several players battling using powerful players both in Malaysia and abroad. As units known as heroes and assisted by their such, esports is conceptualized as a male- allies. The revolution of computer gaming dominated industry. There is no doubt that technology has changed the context of a small number of women have successfully the digital game itself owing to its highly ventured into the esports industry, especially interactive features that connect virtual in Malaysia. However, this number is still players seamlessly across national borders, relatively small compared to male players. where players can interact and create This article aims to discuss the factors a virtual community of young people that influenced female athletes who joined (Yusoff, 2020). Moreover, online games esports and their challenges. provide the players with space and power 1416 Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 29 (2): 1415 - 1429 (2021) The Challenges of Esports Female AthletesChallenges of Implementing OHS in Malaysi LITERATURE REVIEW to formulate success strategies (Everson, 2013). Nowadays, more games in esports Evolution of Esports are being introduced and not only focused Esports may be a newly introduced concept. on action and multiple roles. Games like However, ‘virtual sports’ has been around football are also included in esports or better since the computer was invented and game known as FIFA 20. consoles were introduced (Chikhani, 2015). Tennis for Two was the first virtual sport Differences Between Male and Female introduced to viewers in 1958 (Lynch, Esports Athletes 2016). Tennis for Two was created by displaying an image of a tennis court on Women often become subordinates in a computer, and the player must move the conventional sports where their capabilities tennis ball by touching the screen, much like and achievements were compared to male today’s online games. In 1967, Ralph Baer athletes (Shen et al., 2016). A similar created a game known as Brown Box, the observation was noted in the virtual sports first online game that used a button console industry. Although esports do not involve to control the game, and it also appeared on physical contact with players, they are quite television sets (Bradmore & Magus, 2016). synonymous with being aggressive and The first online game started around violent. Hamari and Sjöblom (2017) provide the 1980s and was known as the Space an example of an online game, Counter- Invaders Tournament (Edwards, 2013). The Strike: The Global Offensive, which requires competition drew more than ten thousand players to shoot their opponents to win the match. Also, the enjoyment of playing an entries and paved the way for esports. online game and the excitement of winning Nevertheless, the great start to the esports a game or stepping into a higher ranking industry began in 1998 when the StarCraft were reported to be more exciting for male game was introduced. The game uses than female players (Ray, 2004). Winning a ‘matching’ game method that allows a match was stated to be the biggest goal players to play with anonymous players for most esports male players (Bettencourt (Lynch, 2016). Strategy and technique & Miller, 1996), while female players were are fundamental to play the StarCraft less concerned about winning or losing a game, becoming a phenomenon in many game (Ray, 2004). This was attributed to countries. In 2012, League of Legends openness to defeat and victory in a game by (LOL) took over as the world’s leading the female players (Shen et al., 2016). Most online game. The game was estimated to of the online games were designed to attract have over 100 million players (Milne & male over female players. Games such as McDonald, 1999) worldwide. Shortly after MOBA, LOL, and StarCraft are based on LOL, MOBA was introduced and triggered war, action, and interspersed with violent global attention. MOBA focused more on elements, which are more suitable for male teamwork, especially team communication, players (Hamari, 2013). Pertanika J. Soc. Sci. & Hum. 29 (2): 1415 - 1429 (2021) 1417 Nur Hafizah Yusoff and Yuza Haiqal Mohd Yunus These features represent more of behind-the-scenes sports industry has the masculine image than the feminine. indirectly led to the emergence of a gender Indirectly, it answers the question of why stereotype, especially to female players. more men are interested in esports than Women are a minority in the esports women. Female players were regarded industry. Yee (2006) mentioned that 86% incapable compared to male, and in some of MMORPG players were male, and 14% situations, female players were unsure were female. Women involved in esports of their skills (Shen et al., 2016). This are sometimes confronted with sexism issue was ascribed to female players’ and sexual harassment (Ruvalcaba et al., learning techniques and methods used in 2018). Women images in games such as esports games (Blumberg & Sokol, 2004). Mobile Legends, PUBG, and Dead or Alive According to Bonanno and Kommers were portrayed dressed in swimsuits or (2008), the longer time spent for esports undergarments and some cases, with images training by the male players was the key of women’s body parts exposed. Although for their good performance compared to the images were animated, they provide the female players, especially for multiple the stigma and perspective that a woman online role-playing games (MMORPGs). is deeply related to sexual elements but not Besides that, a lack of confidence among ability, skills, and techniques. female players is another factor for their In most online games, female characters poor performance in esports games (Chan, are usually supporting roles, while the main 2008). Women tend to believe that men characters are male (Beasley & Collins, are more apt to be actively involved as 2002), which caused female players to role players as most of the esports involve stand out as men. Reaching a higher rank or science, math, engineering, and technology. leaving the supporting role is the dilemma Apart from that, the prizes offered were for female players.
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