Fusion has this great documentary web-series called Real Future that focuses on aspects of technology and society. Their latest episode centers on female eSport champion Hafu Chan as she discusses the struggles that she has had in a male-dominated eSports world.
For the past eight years, Chan has been a star in the world of competitive video gaming, and it’s something that she makes a living at. Along the way she has faced an incredible amount of sexism and hostility from others in the eSports world.
It’s gotten to the point where she’s been turned off from competing because of all the misogynists and trolls sending her nasty and degrading messages. Not only has she been called sexist names, but she’s had false rumors spread about her love life on gaming blogs. When she was 17 she had a competing team name itself “Gonna Rape Hafu At Regionals.” She explains:
“It’s hard to be part of something when I don’t feel welcome in the community… I really want to be recognized for my gameplay. When you have 70,000 people watching a stream, and all you see is terrible things about you…[you think], why am I competing?”
That’s pretty damn sad. No one should be made to feel that way. Hafu was a top-ranked World of Warcraft tournament player as a teenager and now, at 24, she hosts a popular Twitch stream where she spends a lot of time playing a strategy card game called Hearthstone.
This is a must watch video that sheds some light on some serious issues that eSports gamers need to be mindful of. It sounds like the world of eSports has a ways to go in terms of being respectful of each other.
This is important to me personally because I have an 8-year-old daughter who wants to get into eSports and I want her to be able to do it without going through this kind of crap. Watch the video below and tell us what you think.
