French esports organization Team Vitality and international grocery retailer ALDI are forming a collaboration to fight toxicity against women and promote diversity in esports.
Rifts in the Rift
To kick off the initiative, a video was posted to the Team Vitality YouTube channel. The video is titled “Des Failles dans La Faille” which translates to “Rifts in the Rift,” a reference to the battlefield of League of Legends.
According to a statement released by the team, LOL is where a significant amount of online toxicity stems from. It is hoped the video will highlight the impact of cyberbullying on gamers who are women.
Women Stand United
The video features Team Vitality’s women’s League of Legends team, the Rising Bees, alongside TV Host and presenter Marie Palot, and League of Legends Shoutcaster, Nox. In sharing their experiences, they reveal how certain messages undermine their confidence, harm their mental health, and negatively impact their in-game performance.
Appearing in the video to share their experiences include:
- Velouria “Viki” Baty: French player and ADC for Team Vitality
- Madison “Crowmac” Coutelet: French player and Toplaner for Team Vitality
- Alena “Tifa” Maurer: German player and Midlaner for Team Vitality
- Anne Banschbach: Director of Esports at Team Vitality
Toxicity Touches Many Women
According to Team Vitality, online harassment and sexism are prevalent in gaming, and damage the development of the female esports scene worldwide. While 50% of worldwide gamers are women, only 7% compete in esports. Furthermore, a 2022 Ipsos study also showed that 84% of people harassed online are women, with 51% under the age of 30.
For over four years, Team Vitality and ALDI have prioritized the development of women’s esports, including spearheading the creation of Team Vitality’s women’s League of Legends team, the Rising Bees, in 2023. Together, both organizations are championing the development of a more equal and diverse ecosystem in esports, advocating for esports clubs worldwide to train women’s teams with the same facilities and resources provided to men’s teams, as well as raise the overall skill level, allowing more women to pursue professional careers in esports.
In Their Own Words
In the video, the women take turns reading and reacting to various online messages from gamers, covering issues like body shaming, death threats, misogyny, and more. Alongside this, they share their personal stories and emotions, which range from sadness and anger to feelings of isolation and hopelessness. They also discuss how these messages affect their daily lives and ultimately impact their performance, even though they admit they’ve become “accustomed” to these misogynistic attacks.
In the second part of the video, they read messages full of kindness and encouragement, which often get overlooked and lost among the many hateful messages. Team Vitality and ALDI aim to highlight the power of positivity in boosting morale, even amid the often harsh and hostile messages in the esports community.
Throughout the year, Team Vitality also produces and shares content following the Rising Bees’ journey, aiming to break down stereotypes and create inspiring role models for the next generation of gamers.
If You Are Harrassed
Team Vitality and ALDI also want to educate gamers, particularly female games, on what they should do if they are a victim of online harassment. According to the team, it’s necessary to act quickly and make use of resources available.
Victims of harassment are encouraged to:
- Keep evidence (screenshots, audio recordings etc)
- Report content on networks
- Report content to the authorities
- Talk about it with loved ones and professionals
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