After years and years of being mostly a boy’s club, esports is progressively becoming more and more inclusive to women. There are a collection of women’s leagues around the world, and organisations like the International Esports Federation (IESF) even hosts its own women’s tournaments.
Specifically talking about the latter, the IESF has announced that for 2023, it’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournament is expanding from four teams to ten teams, when it is held at the World Esports Championships Finals in Iași, Romania between August 24 and September 4.
“We are thrilled to announce the expansion of the women’s CS:GO tournament at this year’s World Esports Championships,” said IESF President Vlad Marinescu. “This reflects the progress we have made in making esports more inclusive for all. We can’t wait to see what these incredible teams will bring to this year’s competition. IESF strongly believes in removing barriers to access for female gamers, and providing them with more opportunities to shine on the world’s biggest stage.”
The qualifiers for the event will get underway in May and June, with the top ten women’s rosters then securing their spots in the Finals.