Riot's Game Changers Series Is Phenomenal

Last week, Series 1 of Valorant's Game Changers program- an esports program with a focus on women and marginalized genders- hosted what had to have been my favorite esports tournament to date. It had everything I love about competitive gaming: My favorite org bringing home the W, casters making great calls the entire weekend and most importantly, plays that make you jump out of your chair. Best of all, it was an all-women series, with teams of women competing and even a women-led production team. It all adds up to the esports experience I've been begging for since I first watched the season three world finals for League of Legends in 2013.

I Just Want To Play Video Games, Damn It

I hate the fact that playing online video games isn't as simple as just playing the game. It both is and isn't, really; I can play Final Fantasy XIV without worrying about people suddenly being misogynistic or transphobic. That welcoming environment lead directly to me sticking with the game when I was just starting out, and now I'm at well over 1000 hours. The fact that I can play well in the highest tier of content without people being assholes specifically because I'm a girl is wonderful, and it feeds back into making me want to play more. I can't say that about Valorant.