'As a female gamer, I was told, 'You should be in the kitchen' — Now I'm a professional at the Esports World Cup'
RIYADH: Falcons Vega MENA player says participating in the “Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Women’s Invitational” at the Esports World Cup has inspired young women in the region who aspire to become professional esports players.
Vega Middle East and North Africa's Falcons got off to a tough start in the MWI on Thursday, losing to Group C leaders Victory Song Gamers from Russia and Vietnam's Sino Lil's.
But with a $500,000 prize pool on the line, the biggest in women's esports history, the team's superstars say taking part in such a prestigious tournament on the biggest platform is an accomplishment and an inspiration to others.
The match will take place in front of more than 8,000 spectators at the SEF Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City and will be watched by millions of fans from around the world.
“I felt like it was pretty competitive,” said Velvet, a Falcons player from Giza, Egypt, who has been playing professionally for eight months. “We could have done better, but we were nervous. We have the experience that we need to continue to build on and learn how we can do better in the future.”
“This stage is huge. It’s special to play on such a big stage. It’s huge, really. We’ll cherish it until we die. It’s great that we’re here and we tried our best in the first two games, even though we didn’t win.”
When asked if she ever really thought she would become a professional esports athlete or even compete in the Esports World Cup, Muey, whose real name is Hadeel Mahmoud, replied: “Never. Never.”
“I was living the dream. I never thought esports would become so popular and a real money-making job. I never thought it would be a career.
“I used to think I had to work 24/7, and it’s great that we can turn something fun into something that pays.”
Velvet, 21, hopes that female gamers in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the region will follow her example. “Yes, they can do it. All of them can,” she added.
“I was once a woman who was not taken seriously, and everyone looked down on me and said, ‘Oh, you’re just a woman. It’s better if you don’t do that anymore. The kitchen is where you belong,’ and other things like that.”
“But it didn’t stop me. I just kept going and I wanted to prove everyone wrong because I want to inspire little girls and the people around me. So I just sent a message that if I can do it, I can do it. I’m playing in the Esports World Cup, which is the biggest stage in the world.
“The world is like this. You don’t get there easily. You’re going to get negative comments and stuff like that. But it doesn’t have to stop you from doing what you want. You just have to be patient and try your best. And don’t let any criticism hold you back.”
Teammate fvvn, who is also Egyptian, echoed the sentiment. “When I was a kid, I used to play games to kill time while doing what I liked and making new friends,” fvvn, whose real name is Alaa Ayman, said.
“But I never thought I would have the chance to play in a world-class tournament like this with the people I love.
“I think women’s esports should be more accessible to girls and women in the Middle East, especially so that the prize money allows us to be more independent and learn from experiences like this,”
“We had such great support,” she added. “We had fans cheering us on everywhere, both in the hotel and on the field. Their support was a highlight for us throughout the tournament.”
The MWI is a significant addition to the Esports World Cup, which kicked off at Boulevard Riyadh City on July 3 and runs through August 25. The tournament reflects the growing presence of female gamers, who make up 48 percent of Saudi Arabia’s 23.5 million gaming community.
With a prize pool of $60 million, the Esports World Cup is the largest esports tournament in history and is a unique cross-game competition that sees top clubs and players compete in 22 world championships across 21 leading games.
More than 1,500 players from over 60 nationalities are battling it out in this summer’s Esports World Cup. The fourth week of competition this week includes “PUBG Mobile” and “Overwatch 2.”
