Women's Involvement And The Role Of The Media In Supporting Inclusiveness In The Esports Industry

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Esports is a popular term lately, especially among young Indonesians. Esports itself stands for "electronic sports", namely professionally organized video game competitions, often involving players who are very skilled in various games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike, Dota 2, and others.

Not only as a means of entertainment, esports has transformed into a promising industry in, contributing the largest revenue of US$2.08 billion or around Rp. 30 trillion based on data from Indonesia Esports Industry Outlook 2021.

Although initially esports are synonymous with the male world, the more women actively participate in this industry, be it playing a role as players, coaches, managers, commentators who are familiarly referred to as clusters and even content creators in the world of esports. Diversity voices are also getting stronger in line with the increasing number of women's talents who excel in esports such as Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn, a professional StarCraft II player and Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere, a respected cluster in the international esports world.

Diversity and inclusion in the world of esports have an important role in creating a more balanced and fair environment. By encouraging diversity, the industry can accommodate various innovative perspectives and ideas that can help it grow sustainably.

Therefore, it takes support from various parties in the esports industry so that inclusiveness in the esports industry can be realized, especially in Indonesia as a country with growing esports players. Even according to data from the 2021 Global Games Market Report, Indonesia occupies the position of 17 of the largest game market with very fast growth.

Such support from the esports community itself, which provides support and a safe and positive environment for all players through the spirit of playing and competing by maintaining sportsmanship between players and competing teams.

Media companies also have an important role in encouraging inclusiveness in esports. By raising the profile of female esports players through reporting and interviews, the media can inspire and pay appropriate attention to their achievements. Through a positive narrative, the media can help change people's perceptions about women's role in esports and encourage understanding that diversity is wealth.

IDN Media, as one of the leading media companies, has played a significant role in encouraging women's participation in esports. IDN Media has GGWP, a digital media that focuses on building the esports industry by presenting content around esports and tournaments to audiences.

GGWP's strategy in encouraging inclusiveness in the esports industry is to present the profiles and achievements of female streamers in GGWP-produced content in order to improve their visibility. GGWP also routinely raises the story of inspiring women in the world of esports such as Monica 'Nix1a Carolina, which is one of the most respected female figures in the world of esports thanks to its expertise in carrying out multiple roles ranging from playing games to being content creators of esports.

Through the use of the latest technology such as IDN Live which is a livestreaming platform owned by IDN Media, female esports players have a wider opportunity to show their skills in playing games, sharing tutorials, and forming an inclusive community. This inclusive play environment certainly adds to the enthusiasm of female esports players to work such as several female AURA Esports members who regularly live stream on IDN Live.

Even JKT48, an idol group from Indonesia, also has a subunit, namely an esports group called Valkyrie48 since 2018. This esports group presents content about esports that are interesting and entertaining by JKT48 members for its fans who like esports. JKT48's involvement in the esports industry also proves that collaboration between the entertainment industry and esports can expand the share of women's participation in this ecosystem.

These programs and initiatives serve as concrete steps to expand the scope of inclusion in the world of esports. In the future, GGWP will continue to provide relevant and positive impact content for its loyal audiences.

"Developing an inclusive esports ecosystem requires an approach that focuses on various aspects so that every community or individual feels accepted and has the same opportunity. One of them is by supporting gender diversity in the esports ecosystem to ensure that diverse preferences and interests from the gamer community can be taken into account," said Head of GGWP Brian Chuang, quoted Friday, September 15.

By providing a platform for women to perform, learn and interact in a supportive environment, they can achieve their full potential in this growing industry. The success of women in esports not only encourages industrial growth, but also inspires future generations to pursue their interests and talents without gender or background restrictions.