The Commonwealth Esports Championships are helping to normalise female participation in gaming and end a misogynistic culture, according to members of the England women’s team.
England’s Rocket League players, who compete on Sunday, say they have in the past been told to ‘get back in the kitchen’ and subjected to a stream of abusive messages online, but that events like the one at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham are helping to change perceptions.
The Championships, which are taking place on Saturday and Sunday, are not an official part of the Birmingham 2022 programme, but should the event be a success it is not impossible that it will be fully integrated in time for the 2026 Games in Victoria, as the Commonwealth Games Federation seeks to find new ways to engage with a younger audience.
